Chapter 34: The Idea of Training Alchemists

"Hmph, and they think they can use the same trick twice? They really don't take us seriously. I'll bid 110,000 gold coins!"

"Exactly! I'll bid 120,000 gold coins!"

"130,000!"

"150,000!"

"180,000!"

After the first person spoke up, everyone else immediately began bidding as well. Before long, the second batch of ten bottles of Foundation-Building Liquid had reached 180,000 gold coins.

That was more than fifty percent higher than what Xiao Lin had paid for the first batch!

Yet the upward trend showed no sign of stopping.

"200,000 gold coins!"

Xiao Lin bid again at this point.

"220,000 gold coins!"

However, perhaps because Xiao Lin had provoked some resentment by winning the first batch of ten bottles of Foundation-Building Liquid for just 100,000 gold coins, someone raised the price the moment he opened his mouth this time.

But that was not the end.

"250,000 gold coins!"

The person in VIP Room No. 2 spoke up as well, raising the price directly to 250,000.

At that point, the other bidders all stopped.

Normally, ten bottles of Foundation-Building Liquid were worth no more than this. Raising the price further was not because the others lacked money, but simply because it would be too wasteful.

Although Foundation-Building Liquid was as precious as a fourth-grade pill, it was ultimately only a second-grade pill.

Thus, after the person in VIP Room No. 2 spoke, everyone else fell silent.

Even Xiao Lin had no intention of continuing to bid.

It was not that he did not want to win the second batch of ten bottles of Foundation-Building Liquid. For his son, let alone 250,000, even 2.5 million would not necessarily make Xiao Lin furrow his brow.

It was simply that the identity of the person in VIP Room No. 2 was somewhat special. Xiao Lin did not want his bidding to make them develop any grievances against the Xiao Household.

As for the identity of the person in VIP Room No. 2?

Naturally, it was the ruler of the Jia Ma Empire—the royal family!

Think about it. The Xiao Household still had to survive in the Jia Ma Imperial Capital, and offending the royal family brought no benefits whatsoever!

While the royal family might not develop a grudge over the Xiao Household's bidding, even the slightest possibility of making the current Xiao Household offend them was extremely unwise.

Unless one day Xiao Lin no longer wished to hide and openly revealed his true strength. Then, he truly would not need to care about the Jia Ma Royal House.

But would Xiao Lin do that now?

The answer was obviously no.

Of course, the most important thing was that Xiao Lin had already successfully snatched the first batch of ten bottles of Foundation-Building Liquid at a bargain. There was no need to risk offending the Jia Ma Royal House just to compete with them for this second batch.

In the end, the second batch of ten bottles of Foundation-Building Liquid smoothly fell into the hands of the Jia Ma Royal House.

However, its final price was more than twice that of the first batch!

Although the Jia Ma Royal House did not care much about such an amount, the outsiders still sighed at the outcome.

Next came the auction for the third batch of ten bottles of Foundation-Building Liquid.

Xiao Lin bid two or three more times during it, but once the Misty Cloud Sect entered the fray, the third batch of ten bottles of Foundation-Building Liquid ultimately fell into Yun Shan's hands.

The final price for the third batch of ten bottles of Foundation-Building Liquid was 270,000 gold coins!

It could be said that the price of each of the three batches had risen higher than the last!

Likewise, the reason Xiao Lin had not fought to the end for the third batch was because the Misty Cloud Sect had stepped in.

As everyone knew, there were two forces that could not be offended if one wished to survive in the Jia Ma Empire. The first was the Jia Ma Royal House, and the second was the Misty Cloud Sect.

Therefore, when either of them entered the bidding, not only Xiao Lin and the Xiao Household behind him, but even the other factions chose to avoid their edge.

Of course, that was only when the auction price had already exceeded the limit. Only then would the others show them such respect.

Otherwise, if they bid at the starting price and intimidated everyone else into not bidding, they would be offending everyone!

Neither the Jia Ma Royal House nor the Misty Cloud Sect would be foolish enough to do that.

As for why the Alchemist Guild did not participate in the bidding for these three batches of ten bottles of Foundation-Building Liquid, it was because the three batches had been provided by the Alchemist Guild to the Mite'er Family for auction in the first place. Why would they bid on their own goods?

Thus, although Xiao Lin found it regrettable that he had not won the remaining two batches, he was still satisfied.

After all, aside from the Jia Ma Royal House and the Misty Cloud Sect, he was the only one who had won ten bottles of Foundation-Building Liquid, and he had done so at a price far lower than the other two forces.

What was there for him to complain about?

"Alchemists truly are an enviable profession. Selling medicine is practically robbery! What a pity I don't have the qualifications to become an alchemist.

It seems that before my precious grandson rises to prominence, I need to consider training or recruiting a few alchemists for the Xiao Household.

Otherwise, the Xiao Household's expenses on pills are simply too great!"

Those were Xiao Lin's thoughts after the Misty Cloud Sect's Yun Shan won the third batch of ten bottles of Foundation-Building Liquid.

Xiao Lin's own Dou Qi attribute was earth. To become an alchemist, one needed a special Dou Qi attribute: fire with wood within it, and one's fire-attributed Dou Qi also had to be stronger than one's wood-attributed Dou Qi.

Those were the requirements for becoming an alchemist!

Clearly, Xiao Lin did not possess them.

Previously, because the Xiao Household was not a Dou Wang household, the resources they possessed naturally could not support an alchemist.

But things were different now. After the Xiao Household became a Dou Wang household, recruiting a few second- or third-grade alchemists was actually possible.

Of course, in Xiao Lin's view, the best option would be to train members of the Xiao Household into alchemists.

After all, one's own people were more reliable.

With that thought, Xiao Lin had already made his decision.

However, since the auction was still underway, he temporarily suppressed the thought in his heart.

Next, various cultivation techniques, combat skills, pills, medicinal herbs, incomplete maps, pill formulas, weapons, equipment, and other items were auctioned off one after another.

During this time, Xiao Ze took a liking to a long spear.

In the end, Xiao Lin spent 70,000 gold coins to win it.

After receiving the spear, Xiao Ze hugged it tightly in his arms and could not bear to put it down.

Judging by his appearance, Xiao Lin guessed that Xiao Ze would sleep with that spear in his arms tonight!

After Xiao Ze obtained the item he wanted, only Xiao Yi had yet to acquire what he desired.

However, Xiao Yi himself was not anxious.

Xiao Lin had already shown him the auction item list, so he naturally knew what he wanted. It was simply that the item had not yet been brought out for auction.

Finally, the item Xiao Yi wanted was put up for auction: a precious medicinal herb used to temper the body!

That was right, Xiao Yi followed the path of body tempering.

Xiao Lin spent roughly 130,000 gold coins to win that body-tempering medicinal herb.

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The Idea of Training Alchemists