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

Generally speaking, magical artifacts correspond to the Qi Refining stage, spiritual artifacts to the Foundation Establishment stage, magic treasures are the mark of a Golden Core True Monarch, and spiritual treasures are terrifying tools that only Nascent Soul Ancestors can wield.

Li Heng is currently all alone and has not even possessed a low-grade magic weapon, but he is not in a hurry. External objects may be good, but they are ultimately means of protecting the path, not the foundation of cultivation.

If one blindly pursues powerful magical artifacts while neglecting the accumulation of one's own spiritual power, the understanding of one's realm, and the tempering of one's Dao heart, then one is putting the cart before the horse.

The path to immortality is long and arduous; a solid foundation is what allows one to reach the summit.

Therefore, he remained completely unmoved by the Crimson Flame Hammer.

At that moment, on the stage, the auctioneer waited a moment, about to speak to ease the atmosphere, when a cold voice broke the silence.

"One thousand three hundred spirit stones."

The bidder was none other than Xiao Shuo, the leader of the Blood Slaughter Sect.

A rough, cold laugh immediately rang out from the other side: "Sect Leader Xiao, you're in high spirits! I'll offer 1,500 spirit stones!"

A cold glint flashed in Xiao Shuo's eyes: "One thousand eight hundred spirit stones."

"Two thousand three hundred spirit stones!" Yang Xiao quoted almost immediately afterward.

"Yang Xiao!"

Xiao Shuo straightened up slightly, and an invisible yet intimidating aura emanated from his body.

"Are you deliberately trying to make things difficult for Mr. Xiao today?"

Yang Xiao laughed and said, "This auction has always been about the highest bidder winning. If you want it, just keep bidding. Why get angry?"

Xiao Shuo's face darkened further, and he clenched his teeth, saying, "Two thousand eight hundred spirit stones!"

This time, Yang Xiao simply shrugged, grinned, and didn't follow up.

On stage, the auctioneer immediately shouted:

"Two thousand eight hundred spirit stones per attempt!"

"Two thousand eight hundred spirit stones twice!"

"Two thousand eight hundred spirit stones three times!"

"Sold! Congratulations, Sect Leader Xiao, on acquiring the superior-grade magic weapon, the Crimson Flame Hammer!"

When the gavel falls, the item is considered sold, but the actual delivery of the item can only take place after the auction ends.

The auctioneer's smile widened; his commission after this auction was sure to be quite substantial.

He then waved to the back, and soon two Wanbaoge disciples carried in a huge black box.

A chilling sword aura emanated from the box.

"Next up is one of the highlights of this auction!" The auctioneer's voice was rousing as he gestured for his disciple to open the box.

"Clang!"

The box was opened, and suddenly, dozens of faint sword cries rang out simultaneously from inside, spreading out an incomparably sharp aura.

Inside the box were forty-nine identical longswords, their blades dull and lifeless, yet faintly emanating a menacing aura.

"This is the Earthly Fiend Exorcising Sword Formation. This sword formation consists of forty-nine mid-grade magic weapons, the Exorcising Swords, whose energy is interconnected. After complete refinement and mastery, it can be driven by the formation to evolve into many variations."

It can transform into an unbreakable sword curtain, or form a sword circle to trap and kill powerful enemies, or gather into a sword waterfall, invincible! Combining trapping, defense, and offense, once unleashed, it can increase the strength of a Qi Refining stage cultivator several times over!

The auctioneer emphasized, "This is a complete set of sword formations for the Qi Refining stage. Crafting even a single sword is difficult, let alone a complete set of forty-nine swords—that's even more challenging!"

"The Earthly Fiend Exorcising Sword Formation, starting bid 25,000 spirit stones! Each bid must be at least 1,000 spirit stones higher!"

The words of the Wanbaoge auctioneer were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, causing quite a ripple.

"A complete set of Qi Refining stage sword formations? How could the Myriad Treasures Pavilion possibly obtain such a treasure?"

"A starting bid of 25,000? That's an astronomical price, but if the auctioneer's words are true, then it's certainly worth it. With this sword formation protecting us, we can practically roam freely in the outer region of Crimson Cloud Mountain!"

"Alas, such a treasure is destined to be meat in the bowls of those three big shots; we simply cannot compete with them."

There was a lot of discussion in the audience.

Amazed and envious gazes lingered over the Earthly Fiend Exorcising Sword Formation.

Soon, bids began to pour in!

"Twenty-six thousand spirit stones!" Xiao Shuo spoke first, clearly very tempted.

"Twenty-eight thousand spirit stones." A soft yet husky female voice rang out. It was Su Sanniang, the leader of the Evil Tiger Sect. Her gaze was fiery as she looked at the sword formation.

"Thirty thousand spirit stones," Yang Xiao's voice followed closely, full of imposing presence.

Xiao Shuo glanced at Su Sanniang, then coldly swept his gaze over Yang Xiao, a sinister smile curving his lips:

"It seems both Chief Yang and Sect Leader Su are interested? Too bad, I, Xiao, am determined to have it too. Thirty-two thousand spirit stones!"

In a remote corner of the southwest, Li Heng quietly watched as the three leaders began a new round of competition for their sword formation.

This Earthly Fiend Exorcising Sword Formation possesses a restrained brilliance and concealed malevolent energy, making it a rare and invaluable protective tool.

It would be a lie to say that Li Heng wasn't tempted; any Qi Refining cultivator would inevitably yearn for such a treasure.

But he quickly suppressed his excitement. The starting price of 25,000 spirit stones meant that the competition would likely escalate to an unimaginable level, far exceeding his capabilities.

Moreover, even if he were lucky enough to have enough money, he would never dare to make a move at this moment.

Offending the leaders of three major gangs at the same time? That would be unless he didn't want to stay in the outer areas of Chixia Mountain anymore.

A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime. Without the corresponding strength, seizing a valuable treasure is a path to death.

So, Li Heng slowly closed his eyes and began to calm his mind, as if the fierce bidding in the arena had nothing to do with him.

The sounds of quoting prices and exclamations gradually faded into the background noise.

He remained calm and waited quietly for something more suitable for him and less conspicuous.

At the auction, the price of the sword formation kept rising as the three bidders took turns bidding.

"Thirty-five thousand spirit stones!"

"Thirty-eight thousand spirit stones!"

"Forty thousand spirit stones!"

Other cultivators, including some wealthy alchemists, weapon refiners, talisman makers, or leaders of small factions, could only watch silently, and no one dared to intervene in this struggle between the three giants.

Soon, the price of the sword formation rose to 45,000 spirit stones.

Xiao Shuo and Yang Xiao became more cautious in raising the price, only adding the minimum amount of one thousand spirit stones each time, and beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads.

Su San Niang's delicate face lost a slight smile, and her breathing became slightly rapid.

She stared intently at the sword formation on the stage, a resolute glint in her eyes.

When Yang Xiao called out the price to "49,000 spirit stones," Su Sanniang gasped, her loud voice echoing throughout the hall:

"I'll offer 55,000 spirit stones!"

The price came as a shock, silencing the noisy hall. Xiao Shuo and Yang Xiao's expressions turned grim; they looked at Su San Niang with dark eyes, but neither of them immediately raised the price.

The auctioneer's eyes lit up, and he announced loudly, "Sect Leader Su has bid 55,000 spirit stones! Any higher bids? 55,000 spirit stones per bid!"

His gaze swept over Xiao Shuo and Yang Xiao.

Their eyes flickered, but they ultimately remained silent.

"Fifty-five thousand spirit stones twice!"

"Five hundred and fifty thousand spirit stones three times!"

"Sold! Congratulations to Sect Master Su on acquiring the Earthly Fiend Demon-Slaying Sword Formation!"

The auctioneer's gavel slammed down.

Fifty-five thousand spirit stones! To be honest, this number is an astronomical figure for the vast majority of cultivators present.

The fact that they were invited by Wanbaoge naturally meant that they were quite prominent figures in the outer region of Chixia Mountain.

Even so, they still had to risk their lives to explore ruins, hunt monsters, and refine talismans and pills. It was considered lucky if they could save up seven or eight thousand spirit stones a year.