Born with immortal seed

Chapter 167 An Unusual Auction

"So the spiritual energy in the cave of the Du family's Core Formation True Person is only at the same level as my Jade Pavilion... In this light, although Black Mountain County is barren and dangerous, it has the exclusive Black Mountain Range. As long as it can develop spiritual land, it will far surpass other sects."

Bai Zichen's expression shifted; from this perspective, Black Mountain was not inferior.

Just as Elder Yang said, as long as the sect adds another Core Formation True Person, they can immediately take over Thunder Cliff and gain another third-order spiritual vein.

The Black Mountain Range is actually a huge treasure trove, but it requires a high level of strength from the explorers.

"I knew it. Back then, the founding ancestor cultivated the Five Crystal Glazed Body to the fourth level, and was known as invincible in the Core Formation stage, able to stand up to a Nascent Soul True Monarch... Such a person, since he decided to establish a sect, how could he possibly choose a mountain gate with no prospects for development?"

The skies above Zengguang Immortal City are protected by a no-fly formation. Apart from walking, the best means of transportation is to use giant ray beasts.

Its body is flat, and its tail has a long, whip-like tail. When its wings are spread out, they are the size of a palace, and hundreds of people can stand on them easily.

Rays are enormous, but only reach the peak of the first tier. Coupled with their docile nature and ease of control, they can be considered one of the most useful large flying spirit beasts.

Among the surrounding countries, only Zengguang Immortal City has raised over a thousand of these spirit beasts; even the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect doesn't have any.

After paying ten spirit stones for the journey, Bai Zichen stood on the ray beast for almost an hour before arriving in Dingchou District and finding the auction house.

Jin Lu found the auction house's clerk and registered for next month's auction in the name of Qingfeng Sect, while also paying a registration deposit of ten mid-grade spirit stones.

“Junior Brother Bai, would you like me to show you around the auction house? When there are no auctions, this place is similar to a large tourist shopping mall… You can consign your treasures through the auction house, and they will have specialists to evaluate whether they are qualified to be auctioned.”

Jin Lu pointed to the empty hall, where there were only a few display stands and a handful of cultivators standing around making evaluations.

"If you find a treasure you like, and it's not an auction item or from the previous auction, you can negotiate the price directly with the seller. If it is an auction item, even if you offer a high price, you can only wait to compete with others at the auction."

Bai Zichen glanced at it and shook his head in refusal.

It's obvious that the treasures I need are at least high-grade spiritual artifacts. Unless the attributes are extremely poor, how could they fail to sell at auction?

"Alright, let's find a cave nearby to stay in first."

Jin Lu waved to a hanger-on at the entrance of the auction house, tossed him a low-grade spirit stone, and said, "Take us to the nearest rental cave dwelling, one that offers good value for money... If you're satisfied, we'll hire you again tomorrow."

The hanger-on took the spirit stones, bowed repeatedly, and then carefully led the way.

There are quite a few of these hangers-on in the early stages of Qi Refining in Zengguang Immortal City, who have permanent residency rights because of their parents.

Even cultivators in the late stage of Qi Refining will have a very difficult life in Zengguang Immortal City if they do not have a special skill.

These hangers-on take advantage of their familiarity with the area to guide and introduce people, earning spirit stones from cultivators from other places.

A mid-grade second-tier cave dwelling, containing three quiet rooms, a living room, and a guest room, costs five mid-grade spirit stones to rent for one month.

"No wonder they say living in the Immortal City is no easy feat... Without some wealth, you really can't afford to live there."

Seeing Jin Lu's expression, Bai Zichen thought the price was quite cheap, so he immediately took out spirit stones from his storage bag.

However, all expenses incurred during the escort of the Golden Crown Lingzhi will be borne by the sect.

After settling into the cave, Jin Lu made an excuse to visit an old friend living in the Immortal City and hurriedly left, leaving Bai Zichen alone in the cave.

"Could it be that Senior Brother Jin's old flame is in the Immortal City?"

Bai Zichen watched Jin Lu's retreating figure, pondering the inexplicable longing he had felt for Zengguang Immortal City along the way.

He didn't go far, just strolled around the streets on both sides of the rented cave dwelling, but quickly lost interest.

"These shops are about the same standard as the Black Mountain branch of Wanbaoge, with not many good goods... I heard from those sycophants that the real treasures are in the shops in the inner city, or can only be seen at auctions. What a disappointment."

Bai Zichen was looking for high-grade spiritual artifacts, or even top-grade spiritual artifacts, so it was impossible for him to find anything in the shops outside the city.

Within the inner city, each shop represents a force that cannot be ignored.

For example, the Spirit Beast Pavilion of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect and the expanded branch of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion both occupy a place in the inner city.

Not only the Liang Kingdom, but also the other three kingdoms bordering Zengguang Immortal City, whose members at the Core Formation stage also tried every means to acquire a small shop.

As for Nascent Soul level forces, if they are willing to establish a presence in Zengguang Immortal City, the Du family will proactively offer them a complete Pearl Palace within the inner city as a symbol of their presence.

"With the auction approaching, the finest treasures have already been selected for the auction, so the quality of goods in each shop has dropped... Instead of visiting each shop one by one, it's better to just wait for the auction to start. Each auction is divided into three rounds: the prelude, the main event, and the grand finale. Even the Golden Crown Lingzhi is only included in the main event."

After thinking it over, Bai Zichen decided to wait until he found a treasure he liked at the auction before making a purchase.

"The final items in the last round of bidding will probably all be third-tier treasures."

The cave dwelling, which was rented temporarily, only had a second-tier, mid-grade spiritual energy. Bai Zichen, who was used to third-tier, mid-grade spiritual lands, immediately felt the difference when he tried to circulate his cultivation technique.

This slow efficiency in refining the spiritual energy of heaven and earth truly reflects the speed a cultivator with three spiritual roots should possess.

He barely managed to circulate the Fire Dragon Returning to Origin Scripture for one cycle before giving up his cultivation in Zengguang Immortal City.

I should continue cultivating the Divine Forging Technique; at least cultivation within the sea of ​​consciousness won't be affected by the level of spiritual energy.

……

Twenty-six days later.

In front of the auction house, cultivators thronged shoulder to shoulder, each exuding a powerful aura. Inevitably, old enemies would meet, and tensions would rise.

But looking at the Du clan cultivators on duty, as well as the guest cultivators and rogue cultivators recruited by the Immortal City, no one dared to make a move in the Immortal City. They could only snort coldly at each other and make a few sarcastic remarks.

Jinlu didn't return to the rented cave until this morning, and the two of them went to the auction house together.

Bai Zichen increasingly felt that his guess might be true; how could it be that visiting an old friend would take so long?

"We are in private room B37 on the second floor. Just go upstairs."

Jin Lu took out a white jade ring, which was inspected by the Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Du family before he was allowed to ascend to the second floor.

The Qingfeng Sect attends the auctions in Zengguang Immortal City almost every time. In addition to the Millennium Golden Crown Lingzhi, they also purchase some spiritual artifacts to replenish the inventory of the Refining Hall when they have enough spirit stones.

Only then can you book a private room; otherwise, you'll have to squeeze in with other people in the lobby on the first floor.

"This is today's auction catalog. It's finally out by now..."

The two were led into a quiet private room, which was equipped with soundproofing and divine sense-blocking arrays to ensure that the identities of the VIPs in the room would not be revealed.

Bai Zichen opened the manual and found that there were hundreds of items just for the pre-auction items.

Moreover, many of them are of high quality.

"Our target is the second round. Junior Brother Bai, you can take a look at the previous rounds to see if there are any items you like. The first round of auction will start soon."

Jin Lu was also holding a booklet introducing the auction items and reading it with great interest.

Bai Zichen knew that because of the development of the spirit stone mine and the defeat of the Mo family, the sect had a much larger reserve of spirit stones.

Therefore, the elders decided to temporarily reduce the reserve of spirit stones.

The number of spirit stones brought to the auction was several times that of previous days, in an effort to bring back as many Golden Crown Ganoderma lucidum as possible.

"Five hundred portions of second-grade red copper, each weighing one hundred catties, with a starting bid of one hundred spirit stones. Fellow Daoists, please complete your bids within a quarter of an hour."

Not long after, a loud voice came from the center of the hall, clearly reaching the ears of every cultivator.

At the same time, a water mirror rose in the private room, displaying an image of the batch of auctioned bronzes. Next to it was a pen for directly entering one's bid.

Bai Zichen was confused. Aren't auctioneers usually eloquent and captivating, able to sell a nine-point item for a twelve-point price?

Why is what I'm seeing now completely different from what I usually know?

"The auction in the Immortal City is different from auctions in other places... Most auctions are open auctions, where everyone competes for treasures. Only the first two rounds of the auction here are closed auctions, which take into account the auctioneer's valuation level."

Jin Lu picked up his paintbrush and casually filled in a price of one hundred and ten spirit stones.

Seemingly noticing Bai Zichen's confusion, she began to explain the procedures of the Immortal City Auction.

"For example, this hundred catties of red copper has a starting bid of one hundred spirit stones. You can bid any price above that. In the end, the highest bidder among all bidders will win the item."

"Does that mean everyone else is uninterested in an item, and I'm the only one bidding... I can just add a spirit stone and pocket it?"

Bai Zichen keenly realized this. If he did this, he wouldn't miss any items in the auction. He would add ten spirit stones to the low price each round, and he was bound to have a stroke of luck and win something.

"It's not that simple. Why would an auction house leave such an obvious flaw? The seller can set a reserve price. Let's say the reserve price for this bronze item is two hundred spirit stones. As long as the item doesn't reach the seller's reserve price, my one hundred and ten spirit stones will be the highest price and I'll have to return it to them."

This practice of not seeing the bids from competitors greatly increases the mystery of auctions, making it no longer just a game of who has more spirit stones.

The opening auction featured hundreds of second-tier spiritual materials, pills, and talismans, clearly targeting sects or cultivation families.

For a normal cultivator, buying one or two items is enough. For example, only sects would have the need to purchase tens or hundreds of thousands of the same type of talisman paper at once.

"Ten bottles of Tier 2 Sword Tempering Water, starting bid 1,000 RMB per bottle!"

After several more rounds, Bai Zichen's eyes lit up as he finally saw an item that interested him.

The Sword Tempering Water is used to soak flying swords, repairing hidden damage and effectively extending their service life.

(End of this chapter)