Successfully secured

[After advancing to the second level of foundation establishment, twenty-six drops of liquid magical power slowly revolved within your dantian.]

[Gathered together, they emitted spiritual pressure no weaker than that of an ordinary cultivator at the peak of the third level of the foundation establishment realm.]

[This was the advantage of cultivating a top-tier cultivation method: your magical power surpassed that of others at the same level in quality, and there were many other benefits besides.]

[When attempting to break through a major bottleneck, cultivators practicing top-tier cultivation methods possessed stronger foundations and deeper reserves, giving them a higher chance of success.]

[Your breakthrough put you in a good mood, so you had the two female cultivators, Chunhua and Qiuyue, attend you while you bathed.]

[Ultimately, the two maids were physically too frail. You never enjoyed yourself to the fullest.]

[Several days later, you purchased several high-grade magic tools in the immortal city: two for defense, two for offense, and one for support.]

[After nearly ten years of saving, you had naturally accumulated a considerable number of spirit stones as a guest elder of the Pill Hall.]

[Purchasing five high-grade magic tools posed no strain on your finances.]

[Had Peak-Grade Magic Tools required a senior cultivator at the late Foundation Establishment stage to unleash their full power, you would have bought those instead.]

[Besides the magic tools, you also purchased several dozen second-tier talismans.]

[Then you left the immortal city and headed for the Black Mountain Market.]

[On this trip to the Black Mountain Market, you had more plans than merely snatching the Dark Demon Eagle Egg before someone else could obtain it.]

[In a little over ten years, the Mountain-Sea Secret Realm would open. Unlike your previous two simulations, this time you intended to prepare in advance, establishing a faction in the Black Mountain Market to explore the secret realm once it opened.]

[You would not enter the secret realm to explore it yourself, but you could train subordinates and send them inside.]

[In this simulation, you had set your sights not only on Ye Feng, but also on the many resources, treasures, and rarities within the secret realm.]

[The Mountain-Sea Secret Realm was a secret realm developed and managed several hundred years ago by the Mountain Sea Sect, a core formation-level organization. Although the Blood-Sea True Person had wreaked extensive destruction there,]

[it still held tremendous allure for cultivators in the foundation establishment realm.]

[After traveling some distance from Azure Moon Immortal City, you reined in your aura and secretly made your way toward the Black Mountain Market.]

[Upon arriving at Black Mountain Market District, you disguised yourself as an old man wearing a straw rain cape and entered the Market District.]

[Disguising your identity could spare you a great deal of trouble.]

[If you truly encountered any danger, it would not be too late to reveal your identity as a guest elder of the Pill Hall.]

[Of course, you had only disguised your identity, not concealed your strength. You did not hide your foundation establishment aura.]

[After entering the Black Mountain Market, the familiar shops and streets stirred many emotions within you.]

[With more than half a month remaining before the auction, you rented a cave abode in advance and settled in temporarily.]

[That evening, a beautiful female cultivator came to your door.]

[This beautiful female cultivator was named Ouyang Yun, a member of the Ouyang Family.]

[Unlike Azure Moon Immortal City, every foundation establishment cultivator who entered the Black Mountain Market received a personal welcome from someone assigned by the Ouyang Family, as a sign of their esteem.]

[Ouyang Yun was the female cultivator assigned to receive you.]

[Ouyang Yun first asked whether you needed anything, then introduced the Market District's specialties and the auction the Market District would be holding in a little over half a month.]

[Then she respectfully withdrew.]

[More than half a month later, the auction proceeded as scheduled.]

[Under Ouyang Yun's persistent invitations, you reluctantly agreed to attend.]

[On the auction house's highest floor, you sat in a private box, looking down over the many cultivators below.]

[Ouyang Yun sat beside you, personally introducing each auction item.]

[Your outward disguise was that of a taciturn old man in a straw rain cape, which made Ouyang Yun breathe a sigh of relief.]

[As a member of the Ouyang Family, Ouyang Yun knew perfectly well that if you showed even the slightest interest in her, the lineage would send her to your bed that very night.]

[So long as they could befriend a foundation establishment cultivator, what did sacrificing a few female Qi Condensation cultivators from their lineage matter?]

[Your gaze wandered casually over the many Qi Refining Stage cultivators below.]

[During the auction, cultivators were forbidden from extending their spiritual sense, lest they secretly intimidate others.]

[Soon, your gaze settled on a Qi Refining Stage cultivator.]

[*Ruan Hu!*]

[Information about this disciple of Beast Taming Mountain surfaced in your mind.]

[Ten years later, Ruan Hu would advance to the foundation establishment realm and become one of Beast Taming Mountain's core foundation establishment cultivators.]

[As for now? Ruan Hu was merely a cultivator at the eighth layer of Qi Refining.]

[You breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Ruan Hu.]

[Although you had investigated the auction where the Dark Demon Eagle Egg would appear several times during your second simulation, including all the details surrounding it,]

[you had ultimately only investigated it, rather than experienced it firsthand.]

[Only now, upon seeing Ruan Hu, did you confirm that the information was accurate.]

[From here on, you needed to do nothing but keep an eye on Ruan Hu.]

[The auction continued.]

["As everyone knows, commanding a spirit pet can greatly enhance a cultivator's strength. Our next auction item is a Black Wind Eagle egg."]

["A Black Wind Eagle has a mid-grade bloodline and the potential to grow to the late Qi Condensation stage. With good luck, it might even become a second-tier demonic beast..."]

["The bidding for this Black Wind Eagle egg starts at one hundred and fifty spirit stones..."]

[The cultivator hosting the auction began lavishly praising the many advantages of the Black Wind Eagle egg.]

[However, the cultivators present showed little interest. If they had the resources to raise a spirit pet, would it not be better to spend them on themselves and directly improve their own strength?]

[Among the many Qi Refining Stage cultivators, Ruan Hu suddenly felt a stirring in his heart. He stared fixedly at the Black Wind Eagle egg on the raised platform, vaguely sensing a deeper aura emanating from within it.]

[*I must get this Black Wind Eagle egg...*]

[As a disciple of Beast Taming Mountain, Ruan Hu possessed an innate, inexplicable intuition about spirit pets. His intuition told him that this Black Wind Eagle egg was superior to most of the demonic beasts on Beast Taming Mountain.]

["One hundred and sixty spirit stones."]

[Ruan Hu steadied himself and called out his bid.]

[At the same time, he observed his surroundings. Discovering that few cultivators were interested in the Black Wind Eagle egg, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.]

[Just as Ruan Hu eagerly awaited the bidding's conclusion,]

[a hoarse voice suddenly rang out from the highest level of the auction house.]

["One hundred and seventy spirit stones."]

[You glanced at Ruan Hu's reaction below and joined the bidding.]

[Your participation prompted reactions from many of the cultivators present.]

[As a foundation establishment cultivator, your every move drew attention, all the more so when you joined the bidding for a Black Wind Eagle egg.]

["How is this possible..." Ruan Hu felt as though he had been struck by lightning.]

[If another Qi Refining Stage cultivator had competed with him, he would have felt confident that he could secure it.]

[But a foundation establishment cultivator...]

[No matter how confident Ruan Hu was, he did not believe he could prevail against a foundation establishment cultivator.]

["One hundred and eighty spirit stones..." Ruan Hu steeled himself and raised the bid once.]

["One hundred and ninety spirit stones," you spoke again.]

[This time, Ruan Hu did not bid any further.]

[If he kept bidding, Ruan Hu felt that he might not even be able to return safely to Beast Taming Mountain.]

[Even with Beast Taming Mountain behind him, Ruan Hu did not dare anger a foundation establishment cultivator.]

[In your private box high above the auction, you had been observing Ruan Hu's reactions all along. Only when you saw him abandon the bidding, looking utterly lost and dejected, did your heart settle slightly.]

[Before long, the Black Wind Eagle egg was delivered to your private box and placed before you.]

[The Black Wind Eagle egg was blackish gray and the size of a washbasin.]

["Congratulations on obtaining this Black Wind Eagle egg, Senior..."]

[Ouyang Yun offered her congratulations from beside you.]