Chapter 79: Wang Qian of the Green Wood Sect
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Among the three figures, two were from the Green Wood Sect, leaving the identity of the third individual fairly obvious.
Yu Zhao initially found their presence unexpected but, upon further thought, realized it was entirely reasonable.
The Green Wood Sect, being primarily focused on alchemy, would never miss the chance to attend an auction featuring a Fourth-Grade Alchemy Recipe. The families of Black Water City must have caught wind of the auction’s details from the auction house. Seeing the three from the Green Wood Sect enter, they immediately stood up to greet them, leaving the rest of the attendees stunned.
Young Master Fan, seated in a corner of the second row, glared in envy. He had assumed sitting in the VIP section would bring him admiration and attention. Yet, none of the other VIP attendees seemed interested in engaging with him, treating him as if he didn’t exist.
This indifference was already hard enough to swallow. What made it worse was their enthusiastic reception of the three figures, all of whom appeared to be around his age. The proud Young Master Fan could hardly endure the slight.
Still, despite his frustration, he dared not cause a scene during the auction and could only sulk in silence.
Once the trio from the Green Wood Sect took their seats, the Black Water City Auction officially commenced.
The first to appear was a poised female cultivator. Her looks weren’t strikingly beautiful but exuded a gentle and approachable charm that made it hard for anyone to look away.
“Thank you, esteemed guests, for attending the Black Water City Auction. I am your auctioneer, Furong. Today, we will be showcasing a total of 188 items, each carefully curated by our auction house. We guarantee their authenticity and aim to ensure that every winning bid feels worth the price…”
Her voice, like her demeanor, was soothing and graceful, much like the flowing of a gentle stream. Without raising her volume, she effortlessly drew everyone’s attention.
The vast hall was filled with silence as Furong spoke, her voice the sole sound.
Yu Zhao’s eyes brightened slightly.
She hadn’t expected Charm Techniques to be used this way. Strictly speaking, Furong’s method was likely a type of charm technique, which itself could be considered a form of Illusion Technique.
Both methods worked by manipulating the five senses to influence the mind. Previously, Yu Zhao’s use of illusions mainly involved dispersing scent to distract attention and creating fabricated scenes through spells. However, Furong’s sound-based approach was an enlightening new perspective on such techniques.
“The first item up for auction today is a Third-Grade Elixir, the Realm-Breaking Pill. Its primary function is to aid Foundation Establishment cultivators in breaking through to the Golden Core stage, boasting a success rate of 70%…”
While Yu Zhao was deep in thought, the auction proceeded, with the first item being the Realm-Breaking Pill submitted by the Chen Family. Before Furong could even finish introducing it, the attendees were already abuzz with excitement, restless in their seats.
“What? A Realm-Breaking Pill? That’s massive!”
“A pill that guarantees a breakthrough to the Golden Core stage? The auction house is pulling out all the stops this time!”
“Damn it! There’s no way I’ll win with so many people competing for it!”
The Realm-Breaking Pill was a legendary item among Foundation Establishment cultivators, an elixir many dreamed of obtaining. Eyes lit up across the hall as imaginations ran wild, each person picturing their rise to the Golden Core stage after consuming the pill.
The pill’s 30% failure rate? It seemed to have vanished entirely from their minds.
Young Master Fan, in particular, was breathing heavily. “The Realm-Breaking Pill! It’s really a Realm-Breaking Pill!”
His two bodyguards shared in his initial excitement, but as the thrill wore off, they were reminded of the drastically lighter purse their young master now carried. Their faces turned pale.
With his current funds, it would be nearly impossible for Young Master Fan to afford even a single Realm-Breaking Pill.
“The starting bid for the Realm-Breaking Pill is 100 mid-grade spirit stones, with a minimum increment of 10 mid-grade spirit stones per bid. Let the bidding begin.”
A hundred mid-grade spirit stones equaled one high-grade spirit stone, a price Young Master Fan could barely manage.
The starting price of the Realm-Breaking Pill was merely one hundred mid-grade spirit stones, but that was just the base price. The final bidding could reach unimaginable heights, leaving Young Master Fan with no confidence to win it.
As soon as the auctioneer Furong announced the bidding rules, a flurry of bid cards shot into the air.
“Number 143, two hundred mid-grade spirit stones!”
“Number 210, two hundred sixty mid-grade spirit stones!”
“Number 47, three hundred mid-grade spirit stones!”
“…”
The price soared rapidly amid the rising calls, quickly exceeding what Young Master Fan could afford. His face turned grim.
Had he not spent his resources purchasing three VIP tickets, he might have had a fighting chance. Unfortunately…
He clenched his fist tightly, eyes filled with frustration and unwillingness.
The only one in the room smiling was Chen Tian Dong.
The fiercer the bidding, the more exhilarated Chen became, unable to contain his excitement.
As Yu Zhao had speculated, the Chen Family had been struggling in recent years. The younger generation lacked talent, and if the family patriarch passed away, their influence would crumble, leaving their trade caravans vulnerable to competitors.
The family patriarch, after much deliberation, decided to sell the Realm-Breaking Pill he had acquired years ago. With the proceeds, the family would pool all resources to concoct a furnace of pills that could enhance cultivation, giving the patriarch a shot at achieving the Nascent Soul stage.
It was a risky gamble; a single misstep would spell disaster.
Chen Tian Dong, however, knew none of this. His joy was simple: the higher the bidding for the Realm-Breaking Pill, the happier he was.
In the end, the pill was sold to the Wei family, seated in the VIP section, for a staggering one thousand three hundred mid-grade spirit stones.
The Wei family was overjoyed, but Guo Ming En scoffed, his lips curling disdainfully. “Hmph, and they’re so thrilled over a mere third-rank pill?”
Hearing this, Tian Han immediately saw an opportunity to curry favor. He chimed in, “Senior Brother Guo, families like theirs have such limited vision. They’d never imagine that even the scraps falling from Junior Brother Wang Qian’s fingers would include a third-rank pill.”
Guo Ming En picked up on Tian Han’s flattering tone and smiled knowingly. They both turned their attention to Wang Qian, seated between them, showering him with praise.
Wang Qian responded with feigned humility, “You flatter me, Senior Brothers. With my current skills, concocting second-rank pills is no trouble at all. As for third-rank pills, they require a bit more effort.”
His words were modest, but his expression was filled with arrogance.
Guo Ming En and Tian Han exchanged glances, thinking silently that Wang Qian’s conceited nature explained why he always fell short of Mu Ye in the Pill Hall.
Unfortunately, they had completely alienated Mu Ye during their last altercation. Ever since then, disciples loyal to Mu Ye refused to assign tasks to them, forcing them to seek favor with Wang Qian, Mu Ye’s rival.
After all, money was hard to earn, and disgrace was even harder to swallow.
In the pursuit of resources, such sacrifices seemed trivial.
Their conversation, though not deliberately loud, lacked discretion. The nearby Zhang family members overheard every word.
The young master of the Zhang family couldn’t hide the envy on his face.
For him to obtain a second-rank pill, he would need the approval of both the family head and all the elders. Meanwhile, disciples of the Green Wood Sect treated pills like candy, consuming them whenever they pleased.
Other members of the Zhang family were equally astonished by the Green Wood Sect’s opulence. Yet, recalling the sect’s prestigious standing in the cultivation world, they felt it was only natural. Still, their mood was inevitably affected, and they could no longer maintain their earlier composure.
The auction reached a fever pitch as the successful sale of the Realm-Breaking Pill ignited the crowd’s emotions. The subsequent items were sold even more smoothly.