In a VIP private room on the upper floor, two Foundation Establishment cultivators sat, observing the scene of fierce bidding outside with both excitement and disdain.
"Junior Brother Liu, who would have thought that in this remote place, so many spirit stones could be dug out? It seems like we can casually throw out some things, and those ignorant folks outside will fight for them eagerly."
"Senior Brother Chen is absolutely right," Junior Brother Liu nodded smugly. "It seems our efforts to seize this opportunity were well worth it. This Cloud Mist Pill, in our territory, would never fetch such a high price."
He felt ecstatic. This trip took little time, yet they could earn a considerable amount of spirit stones. Not to mention the gifts offered by the city lord and those subtly sent by members of small sects. Although the cost of teleportation was enormous, it was covered by the sect, and they didn't need to spend a single spirit stone.
Hence, when they arrived, besides the spirit stones used for expenses, they had converted all their remaining spirit stones into spiritual tools, elixirs, and other spiritual materials. They even owed some spirit stones. Seeing the people outside, who were fighting passionately, the two felt an unprecedented sense of superiority.
Senior Brother Chen said that it was because of their lack of exposure to good things that they were so desperately competing. However, Liu Junior Brother had inquired beforehand. The best alchemist here was only that Hu Gu, who could refine high-grade eighth-rank pills at most. Even so, he was still highly praised.
Junior Brother Liu felt it was a pity. Only once every ten years, otherwise... hehe.
This was greed. If it weren't for the breathing room every ten years, Tianlin Continent would have been plundered clean by these outsiders. Even if the items were excellent, no one could afford them.
Finally, the Cloud Mist Pill was auctioned off at a high price of over five thousand spirit stones, eliciting envy from the crowd. They thought that Beixing Sect was indeed wealthy.
Several items auctioned next were related to Foundation Establishment cultivators, including pills, spiritual tools, and rare spiritual materials. Although they didn't reach the high prices of the Cloud Mist Pill, each item sparked intense competition. Below, they could hear the calm and steady voice of Senior Jiang, as if the intense atmosphere couldn't shake his composed demeanor.
After a dozen rounds, the first wave of excitement subsided slightly, and items suitable for high-level Qi Condensation cultivators appeared. Only then did Gu Yao and the others show a bit of interest. The auction result of the Cloud Mist Pill made Gu Yao quite excited because he saw the future of alchemists, seemingly even more promising than that of pharmacists in the past. He believed that once his cultivation reached a higher level, he could definitely refine top-grade Cloud Mist Pills. Thinking about tossing one Cloud Mist Pill and gaining thousands of spirit stones, he had no need to worry about spirit stones.
Seeing Gu Yao's silly joy, Chi Changye's eyes revealed an indulgent smile. Gu Yao wasn't hard to understand, so at this moment, he could guess what was going on in Gu Yao's mind. However, Gu Yao forgot one thing—the higher the cultivation, the more spirit stones were needed. How should I put it, a cultivator's desires might not be smaller than those of ordinary people, especially when they were not satisfied.
Yet, some could hold onto their original intentions, while others were blinded by desires, resorting to any means. Thinking of the past, a coldness flashed in Chi Changye's eyes. He, Chi Changye, would return one day, and in the future, he would leave with Gu Yao. After Foundation Establishment, this place would become increasingly unsuitable for cultivation.
Senior Brother Zhou also called out a few times for an item, a pill that could assist Qi Condensation cultivators in reaching the Great Perfection. Unfortunately, he stopped bidding after a while, indicating financial constraints, unable to compete with others.
Huh? Aren't most of those who can enter Tianfu Academy from wealthy backgrounds?
"The next item to be auctioned is a piece of extraterrestrial meteorite. However, our appraiser cannot clearly identify what it is, but it does belong to extraterrestrial matter. Friends interested can bid on it for research. There might be unexpected gains. The auction is starting now, with a starting bid of ten spirit stones. Each bid must not be less than one spirit stone."
The item projected on the platform was a red stone, the size of a washbasin. The auctioneer's introduction and the unexpectedly low price made everyone scrutinize the stone. However, Gu Yao's eyelid twitched, and he turned to Chi Changye, saying, "Brother Night, let's bid for this stone."
Chi Changye didn't ask why Gu Yao wanted to bid, just agreed, "Sure, I'll bid."
The three people nearby looked at these two with eyes that said, "Are they crazy?" It was hard to see any usefulness in such a stone. Why waste money on it? Did Gu Yao perhaps want to take a gamble that there was something good inside the stone?
In the VIP room, the two were also discussing this stone. Junior Brother Liu sneered, "Who knows where they picked it
up. They casually call it an extraterrestrial meteorite. Perhaps it's just extraterrestrial trash. Even Senior Yan doesn't think highly of this thing. They're probably fooling these fools outside."
Senior Brother Chen chuckled, "Maybe they just want to try their luck. After all, they're poor."
"Fifteen spirit stones!"
Junior Brother Liu looked outside and said, "I didn't expect someone to bid. It's indeed the poor folks in the hall below. Senior Brother, should we raise the bid for them?"
Senior Brother Chen shook his head and said, "Let's not. What if they find it not worth it and refuse to bid? Just watch the excitement."
"Alright."
"Twenty spirit stones!"
Xu Chen rarely came out to take a look. This kind of auction was extremely boring for him. There was nothing that caught his eye. Seeing Gu Yao bidding for a red stone, which looked like extraterrestrial garbage to him, he curiously asked, "Do you know what that stone is? Why bid for it?"
Gu Yao rolled his eyes and said, "I won't tell you. It's my secret."
Xu Chen...
Xu Chen: "Rarely do I care about what you have to say! Keep your secrets."
Xu Chen also rolled his eyes, then retreated back into the alchemy tower. He had seen so many good things; what could Gu Yao compare to him? So even he couldn't see the value of the item; how good could it be? With this time, he might as well study the tempering method of the pharmacist that Gu Yao told him about. There was indeed something valuable in it.
After the auction ended, except for Gu Yao acquiring an unnamed red extraterrestrial meteorite, everyone else came out empty-handed. After meeting with Senior Jiang, they were informed to gather early tomorrow and would be departing for Tianfu Academy. It was time to bid farewell to their families.
During this final time, Gu Yao and Chi Changye went around again, purchasing the items they liked. It was unknown when they would return to Ten-Fold City, but judging from the current situation, the resources here were the most abundant. Even Chi Changye bought some materials for making talismans and refining arrays.
Master Meng respectfully handed a storage ring to Senior Yan, saying, "Senior Yan, this is the harvest from this time and the offerings over the past ten years. I trouble Senior Yan to take it back to the sect."
Seeing Senior Yan accepting it, Master Meng breathed a sigh of relief. This time, he could finally complete the task perfectly. His expression relaxed slightly, "Senior Yan, won't you and the two junior brothers stay a few more days? Although Tianlin Continent is behind in cultivation, there are still some nice scenery and dangerous places worth exploring."
"No need. It's urgent to return to the sect for mission handover. Yan bids farewell here. Take care, Junior Brother Meng." After Senior Yan spoke, he looked at Gu Yan and the other two, "You, follow me."
"Yes, senior."
Gu Yan was extremely excited, even disregarding the obvious disdain from the two Foundation Establishment cultivators. He wasn't stupid; he knew that offending these people wasn't a good idea. These were seniors from the sect, Foundation Establishment cultivators, and he had just entered as an outer disciple. He could be crushed by them at any time.
Looking at the two on the other side who were chatting and laughing with the two Foundation Establishment cultivators, envy flashed in Gu Yan's eyes. Only after seeing these two did he know that the City Lord's Mansion had been collecting outstanding talents for the Changxian Sect. These excellent talents would become inner disciples as soon as they entered the sect, receiving treatment vastly different from his own. Even their families would receive special care from the City Lord's Mansion. He didn't have such privileges.
Junior Brother Liu looked at Gu Yan and whispered, "I don't know which senior from the sect gave him this token. With his aptitude, he might not even be able to enter the sect in our territory."
"Let's go. Senior Uncle Yan will investigate this matter when we return. It has nothing to do with us. We won't necessarily have contact with it in the future." With such aptitude, wanting to stand out in the sect would be extremely difficult.
"Activate!"
The teleportation array once again emitted a colorful light. As the light dissipated, the cultivators inside the array had already been transported out.
Master Meng completely relaxed. Fortunately, the sect rewarded him, and he gained something here as well. Instead of returning to the sect and being trampled underfoot by other Foundation Establishment cultivators, it was better to stay here and accumulate resources for his descendants.
"Activate!"
This time, Teacher Fang changed into a flying magical tool shaped like a ship. When it expanded in the wind, it could accommodate nearly a thousand people. Now, there were only a few hundred people on the ship, making it look quite spacious. After activation, the magical tool soared into the sky and then swept away into the distance, quickly leaving Ten-Fold City.
Tian Feirong was initially somewhat sentimental. After all, he was far away from his family and older brother. From now on, no one would wipe his butt or admonish him to cultivate. There was a bit of bitterness in his heart. However, he was inherently optimistic. In no time, he started playing and frolicking with the chubby boy. After leaving Ten-Fold City, the chubby boy's mood visibly improved, like a bird released from a cage, with even his eyebrows shaking.
Gu Yao couldn't be said to be sentimental. Ten-Fold City was just a transit station. As for Yuan Yang Town, if it weren't for being his previous birthplace, there wouldn't be any nostalgia. Instead, he was looking forward to entering Tianfu Academy. He chatted and laughed with Chi Changye, feeling a bit excited.
There were quite a few arrogant second-generation disciples on the ship. They complained about this and that when they came up. Teacher Fang sent them flying with a palm wind, and they immediately behaved.
Seeing this, Tian Feirong was particularly delighted. After all, he had experienced Teacher Fang's palm wind. Now, it was satisfying to see others go through it. Those who complained about the conditions felt happy as well. Because they had also suffered from Teacher Fang's palm wind, seeing others experience it brought them joy.
"If you find the conditions unfavorable, fly to the academy on your own using the flying magical tool. Today, I'll teach you all a lesson. Although the academy is free, it's a place where fists speak. If you don't have the ability to defeat me, then obediently listen!"