Cultivation starts from devouring the Dao fruits
Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Auction

It wasn't long before the auction hall was filled with cultivators.

A tall, burly middle-aged man with short hair, a handsome appearance, and a refined demeanor stepped onto the high platform of the auction and smiled, "Fellow Daoists, I, a Loose Cultivator from Shiyang, am presiding over this auction. There are countless exquisite treasures at this auction, and I am sure they will not disappoint everyone."

Zhao Yu pondered thoughtfully, "It's actually the Loose Cultivator from Shiyang himself presiding over the auction. It seems he places great importance on this event. With him, a cultivator at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment stage, overseeing it, the auction is sure to be as stable as Mount Tai."

Indeed, it was because the Loose Cultivator from Shiyang valued the Shiyang auction so highly that it surpassed those held by the four great sects, attracting countless cultivators to join.

The Loose Cultivator from Shiyang announced, "The first auction item, a Superior Grade Lifespan Extension Pill of the first order! The starting bid is one thousand five hundred Spirit Stones, and each increment must be no less than one hundred Spirit Stones. A first-order Superior Grade Lifespan Extension Pill can extend the lifespan of a cultivator in the Qi Refinement Realm by ten years.

There are three such pills at this auction. The bidding starts now!"

"A first-order Superior Grade Lifespan Extension Pill!! One thousand six hundred Spirit Stones!"

"One thousand seven hundred Spirit Stones!"

"....."

The venue instantly became highly animated, as those cultivators at the Great Circle of Qi Refining madly bid against each other for the first-order Superior Grade Lifespan Extension Pill. A ten-year extension of life was enough to drive any Qi Refinement cultivator mad.

Such a Superior Grade Lifespan Extension Pill could only potentially be refined by a few top Alchemists of the Dan Ling Sect. The Alchemists of Dan Ling Sect had many pills to refine and had their own cultivation to focus on, so Superior Grade Lifespan Extension Pills were exceptionally rare on the market and could only be found at large auctions like the one in Shiyang.

In the end, the first Superior Grade Lifespan Extension Pill sold for three thousand eight hundred Spirit Stones, the second for four thousand Spirit Stones, and the third for four thousand three hundred Spirit Stones.

The Loose Cultivator from Shiyang took out a dirt-yellow inner core the size of a longan and said, "A Low-grade inner core from a Second-Order Demon Beast, the Three Ring Gold Stripe Red Gold Ape! The starting bid is three thousand Spirit Stones, and each increment must be no less than one hundred Spirit Stones!"

"Three thousand five hundred Spirit Stones!"

"..."

As soon as the Demon Beast Inner Pill appeared, it incited fierce competition among numerous cultivators, and the price easily soared past six thousand Spirit Stones.

Zhao Yu slightly furrowed his brow, "The war among the Five Sects has prevented anyone from going to the Canglong Mountains to hunt demon beasts, driving the prices of Demon Beast Inner Pills up."

Before the start of the war among the Five Sects, the four great sects each had their own markets and mortal cities in the Canglong Mountains, and many cultivators would enter the mountain range to hunt demon beasts, earning Spirit Stones and various resources. The price of a Second-Order Demon Beast Inner Pill was generally around four to five thousand Spirit Stones.

"Eight thousand Spirit Stones!!"

When the price broke through seven thousand five hundred Spirit Stones, Zhao Yu spoke up, silencing the other Qi Refinement cultivators in the auction hall.

Many gazes in the vicinity focused on Zhao Yu, and a trace of reluctance flashed in the eyes of many cultivators at the Great Circle of Qi Refining. Several unfriendly stares also centered on Zhao Yu.

Subsequently, two more Second-Order Demon Beast Inner Pills appeared and were directly claimed by Zhao Yu for eight thousand five hundred Spirit Stones and eight thousand three hundred Spirit Stones respectively.

After that, numerous precious Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures came up for bidding, sparking fierce competition among the attendees, even prompting Foundation Establishment Cultivators to actively place bids.

The Loose Cultivator from Shiyang took out a jade vial and said, "One Foundation Establishment Pill, starting bid ten thousand Spirit Stones, each increment must be no less than five hundred Spirit Stones!"

"Thirteen thousand Spirit Stones!"

"Fifteen thousand Spirit Stones!"

"....."

The cultivators at the Great Circle of Qi Refining, who were Loose Cultivators, bid frantically, quickly pushing the price of the Foundation Establishment Pill above thirty thousand Spirit Stones, and the price continued to climb.

"It's madness! A Foundation Establishment Pill used to fetch at most twenty thousand Spirit Stones. In their pursuit of Foundation Establishment, they've all gone mad! But in these chaotic times, power is everything. If one can advance to Foundation Establishment, then earning back those twenty thousand Spirit Stones is still possible!"

Zhao Yu quietly watched those Qi Refinement Loose Cultivators fiercely competing for that Foundation Establishment Pill.

Eventually, a Loose Cultivator at the Great Circle of Qi Refining bought the Foundation Establishment Pill for the astronomical price of forty thousand Spirit Stones.

Shiyang Loose Cultivator took out a bronze mirror and said, "This is a Second-Order High-Grade Evil Ghost Relic, the Ghost Mirror. The starting bid is ten thousand Spirit Stones, and each increment must be no less than five hundred Spirit Stones."

"Ten thousand five hundred Spirit Stones!"

A calm voice came from Box Number Nine on the second floor.

The cultivators downstairs immediately fell silent, as no one dared to bid. After all, those in the second-floor boxes were Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and such a resource like the Evil Ghost Relic would only be used by the Ghost Path Sect and some cultivators who practiced the Ghost Path.

"Eleven thousand Spirit Stones!"

Another voice came from Box Number Seven on the second floor.

"Twelve thousand Spirit Stones!"

".…"

The Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the two boxes kept increasing their bids, driving the price of the Ghost Mirror up to a high of twenty-seven thousand Spirit Stones.

A cold voice came from Box Number Nine, and its owner said icily, "Qi Caihua, are you seeking death?"

From Box Seven, a bell-like laugh responded, "Shiyang Loose Cultivator, someone is threatening me! What about the rules of Shiyang City?"

"Owner of Box Nine, I don't care what grievances you have. At my auction, you are not allowed to bully others with power! Since you've broken the rules, please leave now. Shiyang City does not welcome you!"

The Shiyang Loose Cultivator maintained a calm face, yet a terrifying aura of Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Level radiated from his body, intimidating the entire audience.

"Shiyang Loose Cultivator, how imposing you are!"

The owner of Box Number Nine snorted coldly and left directly.

The Ghost Mirror then fell into the hands of the owner of Box Number Seven.

The Shiyang Loose Cultivator had collected countless Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures through the Shiyang Auction, and his power was equally unfathomable; even the Five Great Sects did not wish to offend such a powerful figure at this time.

The Shiyang Loose Cultivator took out a green bracelet and said, "This is a Second-Order Mid-Grade Evil Ghost Relic, the Ghost Bracelet. The starting bid is eight thousand Spirit Stones, and each increment must be no less than five hundred Spirit Stones."

Zhao Yu immediately said, "Seventeen thousand Spirit Stones!"

In Box Number Seven, there sat a stunningly beautiful woman dressed in a white fox fur coat, tall, with skin white as jade, shoulder-length hair, light makeup, and a noble demeanor.

"Is he from the Ghost Path Sect? No, the people from the Ghost Path Sect act in a domineering manner. He must be someone who has received the legacy of the Ghost Path Sect!"

Qi Caihua mused with a light laugh, "Eighteen thousand Spirit Stones!"

A trace of regret flashed in Zhao Yu's eyes, and he did not bid again. He was unwilling to compete with a Foundation Establishment Cultivator and to offend one for no good reason.

The Qi Refinement Cultivators did not dare to compete with Qi Caihua, and most Foundation Establishment Cultivators had no interest in Evil Ghost Relics, thus the Ghost Bracelet easily fell into Qi Caihua's hands.