"Forget it, let's leave first!"
Seeing the intense killing intent in the eyes of the black-robed cultivator with the goat head mask not far away, Qin Wang had no desire to stay any longer. He immediately got up and said to the girl beside him, "Miss Miao Ling, I've acquired the items I wanted. Let's handle the transaction."
"Yes, senior!" Miao Ling answered respectfully without further questioning and turned to lead the way.
Miao Ling led Qin Wang to an elegant private room and served some spirit tea. "Please wait, senior. They will soon bring the items you won in the auction."
"Hmm," Qin Wang nodded, not drinking the tea.
After a short while, a round-faced woman in purple, at the peak of the Qi Refining stage, walked in carrying a tray. She was accompanied by a middle-aged man in brocade, about fifty years old, at the Foundation Establishment stage.
The brocade-clad elder courteously addressed Qin Wang. "Fellow Daoist, here are the Skyfire Tower, the Foundation Establishment Pill, and the relic of the great cultivator that you won in the auction. Please check them."
Qin Wang scanned the items with his spiritual sense, confirmed they were correct, and then placed a storage bag on the table. "Here are 183,500 spirit stones. Please verify."
The purple-clad woman respectfully placed the tray on the table in the room and stood aside.
The brocade-clad elder checked the storage bag, nodded in satisfaction, and said, "Everything is in order!"
"Good, then I'll be on my way!"
"Farewell, fellow Daoist!" The elder watched as Qin Wang left.
...
Wanyan Meng felt deeply grateful. "Is this a Foundation Establishment Pill?!"
Although Wanyan Meng had never seen a Foundation Establishment Pill before, she could sense its extraordinary nature from the dense medicinal fragrance emanating from the snow-white pill in the white porcelain bottle Qin Wang handed her.
Qin Wang nodded. "With your talent, this Foundation Establishment Pill should guarantee your advancement to the Foundation Establishment stage."
"Thank you!" Wanyan Meng took the bottle, her emotions complex.
Qin Wang said calmly, "Don't just stand there, take it. Let's find a place to enter seclusion so you can break through to the Foundation Establishment stage."
"Are we going to the Heavenly Chu Immortal Dynasty next?" Wanyan Meng asked as they left.
"Not yet. Your cultivation is too low. I want you to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage first, which will make things more convenient."
Three hours later, they arrived at Black Cloud Mountain, a hundred miles away from Tian Nan Market.
Qin Wang stood atop a thousand-zhang peak, gazing at the distant market, lost in thought.
"No, we have something else to do first," he said, shaking his head.
"What is it?" Wanyan Meng asked.
"This is a Foundation Establishment Pill," Qin Wang said, placing the bottle in her hand. "We're going to a place called Eagle Cliff."
...
Meanwhile, in the Murong family's ancestral land within Tian Nan Market, in a luxurious hall, a middle-aged man with a white face and no beard sat cross-legged on a prayer mat.
"Damn thief! You ruined my chance of ever reaching the Nascent Soul stage! If I don't catch you and flay you alive, I, Murong Changtian, will never be a man again!"
Murong Changtian, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, sat amidst a pool of blood, his face twisted with hatred and despair.
He had been using powerful magic to terminate the malicious fetus within him, but a Golden Core enemy attacked at a critical moment, causing his attempt to fail and resulting in severe blood loss. His foundation was now damaged beyond repair, making it impossible to ever reach the Nascent Soul stage. His rage was indescribable.
...
In another part of Tian Nan Market, at Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, a black-robed young cultivator in his late twenties stood before a middle-aged man in his thirties.
"Murong, are you sure your Heavenly Fragrance Locking Qi can track that person's aura?" the young man asked.
Murong Rui nodded, "I've collected the aura from seat 148. Tracking him is no problem, but it requires significant resources."
The young man, Yan Cangwu, gritted his teeth. "If you help me track this person, I will give you three second-grade Golden Bell Talismans."
Murong Rui, after some consideration, said, "Deal, but add another 10,000 spirit stones."
"Deal," Yan Cangwu agreed.
As a disciple of the Dayan Immortal Dynasty, Yan Cangwu knew the value of the Skyfire Tower and the relic of the great cultivator. After failing to win the auction, he sought out Murong Rui, who was known for his unique tracking technique.
Murong Rui's tracking method was indeed exceptional, and Yan Cangwu was confident that they would be able to catch the auction winner without further expense.
...
At Eagle Cliff, hidden within a vast mountain range, Qin Wang stood in the middle of a cave, watching as Zhang Fujiang and a few soul slaves continued digging downward.
"Master, the soul seeds are still digging below. It should be soon," Zhang Fujiang reported respectfully.
"Good, continue!" Qin Wang acknowledged, nodding in approval.
Zhang Fujiang bowed and returned to the pit.
Nearby, Wanyan Meng prepared a side cave for her Foundation Establishment breakthrough, while Qin Wang sat cross-legged on a stone platform, placing a yellow prayer mat beneath him. He then took out a thousand-year-old soul-nourishing wood.
The soul-nourishing wood emitted a faint glow, revealing three soul shadows: Wu Su, Situ Yunfei, and Jin Xing.
Wu Su's spirit appeared first, her beautiful eyes showing approval. "Qin Wang, you've made good progress, reaching mid-Foundation Establishment stage."
"Wu Su, I have some good news for you," Qin Wang said, taking out the Skyfire Tower and placing it before her.
Wu Su's spirit entered the tower, re-emerging moments later with surprise and joy. "Thank you, Qin Wang. With this tower, my soul power can greatly increase!"