Immortality and Cultivation: Starting with Improving Spiritual Root Aptitude

"Fellow Daoist, please wait. The invitation level needs to be verified for the fourth floor and above. Please show your invitation again. Thank you for your cooperation."

The speaker was a cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining, whose expression was respectful but who remained vigilant.

Wu Fan took out the intermediate invitation letter from his pocket again and handed it over.

The cultivator took it, carefully checked the spirit pattern imprint again, and after confirming that it was correct, stepped aside to lead the way.

"Fellow Daoist, please forgive my rudeness. This way, please. The remaining cubicles are all on the east side. You may choose any one of them."

Wu Fan nodded slightly and followed the direction indicated by the cultivator, eventually choosing a cubicle at the back.

This location offered a clear view of the auction stage downstairs while remaining inconspicuous, which suited him perfectly.

He walked over and sat down. The chair was made of warm jade and felt cozy to sit on.

Below, the cultivators attending the meeting continued to pour into the pavilion, and the noise grew louder.

Wu Fan leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the empty auction stage downstairs, his eyes calm.

Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye, and the auction hall was almost full. The seats on the first, second, and third floors were all occupied, and the private rooms on the third floor were all lit up.

At this moment, the entire venue was extremely lively. Many cultivators who knew each other no longer tried to lower their voices and started chatting excitedly. The topics mostly revolved around the auction items and the origins of the cultivators from all sides, and the atmosphere became increasingly heated.

But Wu Fan was completely unaffected. He slowly closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and quietly rested, as if everything around him was irrelevant.

Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye, and just as the discussion among the crowd was getting louder and louder.

A muffled buzzing sound suddenly rang out.

"Buzz!!!"

The buzzing sound pierced through all the noise, resounding throughout the attic and making everyone's ears tingle slightly. The originally noisy meeting room instantly fell silent.

All the cultivators turned their gazes to the auction stage in the center of the first floor. Then, a soft white beam of light poured down from the dome of the hall. The beam of light slowly spread and eventually enveloped the circular auction stage, illuminating the surface as if it were daytime.

Within the beam of light, a figure had appeared in the center of the platform, standing tall and straight.

His voice, enhanced by spiritual energy, was clear and steady, carrying to every corner of the attic:

"Thank you all for coming from afar to support Tianhua Treasure Pavilion. I am Gao Yuanzhi, and I am honored to be the host of this auction today by the trust of the eight major merchant guilds."

Only then did Wu Fan slowly open his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the auction stage, and he clearly saw the appearance of the old man who had spoken.

Gao Yuanzhi looked like an immortal, dressed in a spotless white Taoist robe. His long beard reached down to his chest, and although his hair and beard were half white, his complexion was ruddy and he was full of energy. He wore a warm smile and bowed to each of the four directions of the pavilion, showing perfect manners.

After the ceremony, Gao Yuanzhi's tone changed abruptly, his expression instantly shifting from gentle to serious and solemn, his voice deepening:

"Let me first explain the rules of this auction, and all fellow Daoists must keep them in mind."

"Threatening others with divine sense or spiritual awareness is strictly prohibited at this auction. Malicious bidding and collusion are strictly forbidden. Items won are non-refundable. Anyone who disrupts the normal order of the auction will be considered to have challenged the Eight Great Chambers! The consequences range from expulsion from the venue to immediate disqualification by the Eight Great Chambers, along with a joint crackdown on their family and relatives. No leniency will be shown!"

The authoritative tone in his voice made all the cultivators present shudder, and no one dared to whisper anymore.

Seeing this, Gao Yuanzhi's expression softened slightly, and he spoke calmly:

"Enough with the small talk. This auction features fifty items, encompassing spiritual herbs, ores, magical artifacts, cultivation techniques, elixirs, and even a few treasures suitable for Foundation Establishment cultivators. All items are guaranteed authentic; the highest bidder wins!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a low commotion arose in the hall, and the anticipation in the cultivators' eyes grew even more intense.

Gao Yuanzhi looked at the scenery above and around him, a faint smile playing on his lips. He raised his hand to gesture to the two graceful female cultivators behind him, dressed in elegant simple clothes.

"The auction is officially open! Please welcome the first item!"

As soon as the words were spoken, two graceful female cultivators, each carrying an exquisite jade bottle, slowly walked onto the auction stage, their movements light and their steps synchronized.

Gao Yuan stepped forward, raised his hand and gently opened the jade bottle stopper. A rich and mellow fragrance of pills instantly filled the air, and many cultivators below the stage immediately brightened up and sat up straight.

"The first item up for auction is the Barrier-Breaking Pill."

Gao Yuanzhi's voice slowly spread.

"A Breakthrough Pill?!"

"This first item is a breakthrough pill; the items to be auctioned later will likely be even more astonishing."

All the cultivators present were invigorated.

Although the Breakthrough Pill can only help cultivators below the late stage of Qi Refining break through their realm, everyone here is from a major family or power. Who doesn't have a descendant or clan member who needs to be cultivated?

Moreover, these kinds of pills that help break through realms have always been extremely rare.

Seeing the crowd's high spirits, Gao Yuanzhi looked satisfied and slowly spoke again:

"Fellow Daoists are surely familiar with the effects of this pill. It can assist mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators in breaking through bottlenecks, and it is an excellent elixir for those below the seventh level of Qi Refining. Twelve pills will be auctioned today, with a starting bid of one hundred low-grade spirit stones per pill, and each bid must be at least five low-grade spirit stones higher!"

As soon as he finished speaking, someone in the audience eagerly raised their hand:

"One hundred and five low-grade spirit stones!"

"One hundred and ten yuan!"

"One hundred and fifteen yuan!"

Bidding calls rose and fell, and the price soared all the way up, reaching 130 low-grade spirit stones in no time.

Wu Fan sat in the cubicle, his eyes sweeping over the scene of competition below the stage, and he couldn't help but ponder to himself.

If even ordinary Breakthrough Pills are being fought over so fiercely, he could probably make a fortune if he were to offer his refined, high-quality Breakthrough Pills.

But the thought only flashed through my mind.

One or two is fine, but if you take out several, you will definitely attract the attention of major forces, which would be a loss.

His cultivation level is still shallow, so it's safest for him to honestly sell common pills.

However, a thought quietly arose in his mind.

Once I've established my foundation, I can set up a shop to sell the pills I refine. This way, I won't have to process the pills in batches each time, and I won't be subject to price gouging. I can also accumulate spirit stones more steadily.

Just as Wu Fan was still deep in thought, the bidding noise from below the stage gradually subsided.

Ultimately, the first Breakthrough Pill was auctioned off to a middle-aged cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining for 165 low-grade spirit stones.

The middle-aged cultivator was overjoyed. He stood up and quickly walked onto the auction stage. He took the jade box from the female cultivator with both hands, carefully put it into his storage bag, afraid of any mishap. Only after putting it into his storage bag did he hurriedly retreat.

The subsequent eleven Breakthrough Pills were also snapped up at roughly the same price.