Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid

Looking at his character attribute panel, which had grown considerably richer, Nalan Sheng nodded in satisfaction, then began practicing the Benlei Palm and Lightning Divine Movement Technique right where he stood.

Since both the Benlei Palm and Lightning Divine Movement Technique were high-level Xuan-grade Dou Techniques, each use consumed a great deal of Dou Qi.

With his cultivation as a five-star Dou Zhe, Nalan Sheng could only execute high-level Xuan-grade Dou Techniques a few times in succession at most, so his proficiency in the Benlei Palm and Lightning Divine Movement Technique naturally increased very slowly.

But now that Nalan Sheng had mastered the Six Vault Immortal Thief to the minor accomplishment level, he essentially no longer needed to worry about running out of Dou Qi. Naturally, he had to grind the proficiency of these two Dou Techniques.

The results did not disappoint him. With a nearly limitless supply of Dou Qi, his proficiency in the Benlei Palm and Lightning Divine Movement Technique rose rapidly.

After just several hours of intensive training, his proficiency in both Dou Techniques had increased by two or three hundred points. Even his proficiency in the Six Vault Immortal Thief had surged by nearly a hundred points.

Fortunately, the Six Vault Immortal Thief could not only replenish his Dou Qi and stamina, but also heal injuries to his body.

Otherwise, even with limitless Dou Qi, Nalan Sheng's body would not have endured training of such intensity.

Unfortunately, the Six Vault Immortal Thief could not restore his depleted mental energy, so after several hours of grueling Dou Technique practice, Nalan Sheng could not help going off to bathe and rest.

More than half a month later.

The Appraisal Room, Mittel Auction House.

Xiao Yan, enveloped in a black robe, sat expressionlessly in a chair, while Master Gu Ni, dressed in blue, gently stirred the contents of a jade bottle with a slender silver needle.

As the needle stirred, Gu Ni's expression gradually shifted from calm to grave. Finally, he nodded and said, "Indeed, this spirit liquid has reached the level of a second-tier medicinal pill."

The middle-aged man beside Gu Ni immediately breathed a sigh of relief at those words. With an enthusiastic smile, he asked, "Sir, would you like to auction this bottle of spirit liquid?"

"Yes!"

Xiao Yan nodded slightly and deliberately spoke in a somewhat hoarse voice. "Can you arrange the earliest possible auction time for this old man?"

"Of course. That won't be a problem."

The middle-aged man smiled, took out a black iron token, and offered it to Xiao Yan. "Sir, you may take this token to Auction Hall No. 1. An auction is underway there right now, and your spirit liquid will be auctioned shortly."

"Excellent."

Xiao Yan casually accepted the black token. Having no intention of lingering in the Appraisal Room, he headed straight for Auction Hall No. 1.

Only after Xiao Yan had left the Appraisal Room did the middle-aged man ask quietly, "Master Gu Ni, is he an alchemist?"

"He should be. There's no mistaking that keen spiritual perception."

Gu Ni frowned slightly. "But which faction does this alchemist belong to? I haven't heard anything about a new alchemist arriving in Wutan City."

"Should we investigate his background, then?"

"Not for now."

Gu Ni shook his head. "Most alchemists have rather eccentric temperaments. If he discovered our investigation, it would inevitably leave him with a poor impression of the auction house.

"Rashly offending a mysterious alchemist of unknown rank is hardly a wise move.

"What we need to do next is make him look favorably upon our auction house. I shouldn't need to teach you how to do that, should I?"

"Yes, understood!"

Meanwhile, Xiao Yan, dressed in his black robe, arrived at Auction Hall No. 1 under the guidance of an auction house maid.

Xiao Yan first found an inconspicuous corner and sat down, then began surveying his surroundings.

The auction hall was spacious enough to accommodate over a thousand people without feeling crowded.

An auction stage stood in the very center of the hall. On it stood a woman in a red dress, her bearing alluring.

Xiao Yan naturally recognized her. She was Ya Fei, the chief auctioneer of the Mittel Auction House, a great beauty known to practically everyone in Wutan City. Her mature, seductive charm made countless men willingly bow beneath her skirts.

After withdrawing his gaze from Ya Fei, Xiao Yan turned his attention to the figures seated in the front row, and a somewhat surprised expression crossed his face.

Not only had Xiao Yan spotted his father, but he had also seen the heads of the Jia Lie Family and the Ao Ba Family.

Besides the heads of the Three Major Clans, Xiao Yan also saw Nalan Sheng, dressed in a purple-and-gold robe, and Xiao Yi Xian seated beside him.

"Hm? That boy from the Nalan Family is rather interesting."

Before the surprise could fade from Xiao Yan's face, Yao Lao's voice sounded in his ear.

Hearing Yao Lao's remark, Xiao Yan could not help asking quietly, "Teacher, is there something wrong with Nalan Sheng?"

"It's nothing particularly serious. I simply can't see through his cultivation anymore. If I hadn't met that boy before, I might have mistaken him for an ordinary person."

"Surely not?"

Xiao Yan's expression shifted slightly. "Teacher, that fellow is only a one-star Dou Zhe, after all. How could he possibly evade your spiritual perception?"

"Under normal circumstances, that boy certainly couldn't block my spiritual perception. But if he's practiced some special Dou Technique capable of doing so, that's another matter."

Yao Lao paused, then said, "Little Yanzi, don't forget the Black Iron Fragment he snatched out from under your nose last time. It might have contained a special Dou Technique capable of blocking spiritual perception."

"So that's it. He really got a bargain, then."

Learning that Nalan Sheng had blocked Yao Lao's spiritual perception by practicing some special Dou Technique, Xiao Yan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

While Xiao Yan and Yao Lao were conversing in private, Ya Fei suddenly spoke from the auction stage with a radiant smile. "Hehe, everyone, you're in luck today. Our auction house has just received a new item, and I'm sure you'll all be interested."

As soon as Ya Fei finished speaking, a maid hurried onto the auction stage carrying a silver tray, with a white jade bottle resting upon it.

"This item is called Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid. It only works on those below the Dou Zhe level."

Ya Fei's enticing red lips parted slightly, releasing a sweet voice that sent tingles through her listeners. "Cultivating while soaking your body in this spirit liquid can considerably increase the cultivation speed of anyone below the Dou Zhe level.

"If you wish to turn your children or grandchildren into young prodigies, you absolutely mustn't miss this item."

"Miss Ya Fei, what tier of medicinal pill is this Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid? It can actually increase the cultivation speed of those below the Dou Zhe level? And if I remember correctly, those below the Dou Zhe

"level have meridians that can't withstand the impact of a medicinal pill's power, don't they?"

Although Ya Fei's words were certainly tempting, quite a few people remained clearheaded and raised doubts.