May I seek good fortune and avoid misfortune, and live a long and prosperous life.

Although they are not qualified to participate in the auction, it does not prevent them from coming to watch and then using it as a topic of conversation to brag about to their relatives and friends.

At the entrance to the staircase leading from the first to the second floor of Wanbaoge, there was a Wanbaoge disciple at the second level of Qi Refining.

Li Heng squeezed through the crowd and arrived at the stairwell.

Many low-level cultivators were astonished to see Li Heng, dressed plainly and with an unremarkable appearance, arrive at the stairwell, seemingly intending to go up to the second floor.

Many cultivators showed expressions of disdain and contempt, saying:

"This greenhorn must be new here, right? Otherwise, how dare he go up to the second floor? Doesn't he know that not just anyone can go up to the second floor? Only highly respected figures are invited to attend the auction there. This rogue cultivator is so ordinary, how dare he go up to the second floor?"

At this moment, the Wanbaoge disciple stopped Li Heng and asked seriously, "Fellow Daoist, the second floor is the important venue for our auction today. Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter. Do you have an invitation?"

Li Heng nodded and took out the invitation from his pocket, handing it to the other party.

After carefully examining the invitation, the other party immediately handed it back to Li Heng, whose face instantly showed a hint of respect.

He then cupped his hands and smiled, "So it's Alchemist Li from Baicao Pavilion. Your presence at Wanbao Pavilion is truly an honor for us. Please forgive any shortcomings in our service earlier. Please come up to the second floor; the auction will begin in half an hour."

The reason why this Wanbaoge disciple was arrogant at first and then obsequious was precisely because of Li Heng's identity as an alchemist of Baicaoge.

The alchemists of Baicao Pavilion are mostly very wealthy and have no shortage of spirit stones. They are the premium customers of Wanbao Pavilion. The branch manager of Wanbao Pavilion often warns them that they should never offend those alchemists, even if their cultivation level is not high.

Li Heng went up to the second floor.

Meanwhile, the lowly cultivators on the first floor were all gaping in disbelief. This inconspicuous cultivator actually possessed an invitation and was qualified to participate in the auction. This was truly unbelievable to them.

……

Second floor of Wanbaoge.

Li Heng randomly found the most secluded corner to sit down.

At this moment, most of the invited cultivators had already taken their seats at the auction. They held very high positions in the outer region of Crimson Cloud Mountain and were important figures that even low-level rogue cultivators rarely saw.

Soon, all the cultivators stood up and looked toward the entrance.

The leaders of the three major gangs in the outer area of ​​Chixia Mountain entered the auction venue at the same time.

The leaders of the three major gangs include Xiao Shuo, the leader of the Blood Slaughter Sect, a sinister young man with red hair dressed in a blood-red robe.

The leader of the Black Fiend Gang was a middle-aged man named Yang Xiao, who wore a black robe, had short hair, a stubble beard, and a fierce expression.

The leader of the Evil Tiger Sect was a middle-aged beauty named Su San Niang, who wore a white robe embroidered with tiger patterns, had exquisite hairpins in her hair, and had a charming expression.

Under the watchful eyes of all the cultivators present, the three leaders took their seats at the very center of the auction hall.

Only after the three leaders sat down did all the cultivators present dare to take their seats.

"Hehe, Yang Xiao, you've got some free time today, actually attending Wanbaoge's auction. It's been so hard to get a chance to see you before," Xiao Shuo teased Yang Xiao.

"Xiao Shuo, you can come, but I can't? Hmph, keep your men in line and stop meddling in my affairs," Yang Xiao mocked.

"Brothers, please calm down. Although the three major gangs have had their disagreements, they have always kept to themselves. Let's not ruin our harmony. In my opinion, since the auction is about to begin, you two should watch it first," said the middle-aged beauty, Su San Niang.

"I'll listen to Third Sister and won't stoop to your level!" Xiao Shuo snorted.

"Who's going to lower myself to your level? I'm just giving Third Sister some face," Yang Xiao retorted.

At this moment, Li Heng, sitting in a secluded corner in the southwest, quietly observed the three important figures in the front row, each with a distinct aura. Based on the scattered information he had gathered over the past few years, he thought to himself:

"Xiao Shuo, the leader of the Blood Slaughter Sect, is sinister and ruthless; Yang Xiao, the leader of the Black Fiend Gang, is domineering; and Su Sanniang, the leader of the Evil Tiger Gate, hides a knife behind her smile. These three local tyrants in the outer region of Crimson Cloud Mountain are indeed quite different."

"These three people, just by sitting there, can silence all the cultivators in the hall. If I have the chance in the future, I will personally experience their skills and see how much real talent they have beneath their reputation."

"With these three forces entrenched, it will be extremely difficult for lower-level cultivators to cultivate peacefully and find a glimmer of hope for survival. As long as the structure of these three major factions remains unchanged, stories like those of Su Changsheng and Meng Ji will likely continue to unfold in the future."

At this moment, the three leaders had already taken their seats, and their invisible auras subtly divided the auction room.

A middle-aged auctioneer with a fair complexion and no beard calmly ascended the platform and gently struck the bronze chime on the table with his gavel.

"clang."

The clear, melodious sound of the chime drowned out all the noise.

The auctioneer announced loudly, "The Wanbaoge auction is now beginning."

The atmosphere in the room froze, and all eyes were focused on the stage.

"Please welcome the first treasure to the stage."

Soon, a giant hammer, dark red in color and exuding a faint aura of intense heat, appeared before the cultivators on the stage.

The hammerhead had shimmering, magma-like patterns, and the surrounding air was slightly distorted.

"The first treasure, a superior-grade offensive magic weapon, the Crimson Flame Hammer!"

He paused briefly, looked around the room, and said:

"This hammer was forged by a master craftsman of our Foundation Establishment stage, using rare materials, primarily Crimson Flame Crystal Iron. When fully activated, it can unleash a fiery burst comparable to a full-force strike from a Qi Refining stage cultivator! Its power is considerable, especially as it is well-suited to fire-based cultivation techniques."

"Starting bid: 1,000 low-grade spirit stones! Each bid must be at least 100 spirit stones higher!"

As soon as he finished speaking, gasps and murmurs filled the room.

"A strike from the ninth level of Qi Refining? Its power is truly astonishing!"

"This is a good item, but the spiritual energy consumption is terrifying. Without the cultivation of the sixth or seventh level of Qi Refining, I'm afraid I'll be drained dry by the first blow."

As most people expected, although the Crimson Hammer attracted much attention, no one made a bid first.

A brief silence fell over the auction hall as everyone looked around, waiting for someone with sufficient influence to make the first move.

Li Heng's gaze lingered on the hammer for less than a moment before he looked away and sat down quietly with his eyes lowered.

This Crimson Flame Hammer is a top-grade magic weapon. If he were to acquire it, it would be too troublesome. He knew the principle that "a common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime."

Given his current level of cultivation and background, if he were to actually bid on such an eye-catching item, it would be like a child carrying gold through the market, instantly making him a fat sheep in the eyes of some people.

Being low-key and cautious, and avoiding unnecessary attention, is his first principle for making a living.

In recent days, Li Heng has also gained a preliminary understanding of the "weapon" system for cultivators.

Cultivators need tools to assist them in protecting their path and fighting, the most basic of which is "magical artifacts".

Buddhist ritual implements are divided into four grades: low, medium, high, and supreme, with low grade being the worst and supreme grade being the best.

Above magical artifacts are spiritual artifacts, magical treasures, and spiritual treasures; each level represents a qualitative leap.