Cultivation begins with alchemy and collecting runes.

"The following is the last treasure of this auction, and also the most valuable and rarest treasure—the Five Elements Root Fruit."

"The Five Elements Root Fruit is born in places where the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is disordered or in ancient secret realms. This fruit can stabilize the source of magic power for Foundation Establishment cultivators when they form their core, making it a treasure that can defy fate for Foundation Establishment cultivators who aspire to form their core."

"Consuming the Five Elements Root Fruit increases the probability of forming the Golden Core by a full 15%. Fellow Daoists, those who possess this item may very well become the next Golden Core True Person."

"The Five Elements Root Fruit is something that can only be encountered by chance, not by seeking. You must know that to become a True Person who has formed the Core! In the Chu Kingdom, apart from the exceptionally talented 'Crimson Flame Fairy' of the Blazing Fire Sect, no one has successfully formed the Core for hundreds of years."

Jin Yun's tone was filled with boundless envy and admiration, instantly igniting the ambitions of the Foundation Establishment cultivators present to break through to higher realms.

It should be known that cultivators who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage are all exceptionally talented and intelligent.

No cultivator would give up if there were even the slightest hope of forming a core.

Core Formation cultivators are already among the de facto rulers of the Chu Kingdom, and would be considered patriarchs within the five major sects.

Therefore, Jin Yun just mentioned that the treasure inside the jade box could increase the probability of forming a core by 15%.

It attracted almost everyone's attention, with several late-stage and peak Foundation Establishment cultivators revealing extreme greed and fervor in their eyes.

"Alright, enough chit-chat. The Five Elements Root Fruit starts at five thousand spirit stones, with each bid increasing by no less than one hundred spirit stones."

The moment the words were spoken, the entire venue erupted in cheers.

At the very top of the stairs where Li Xiuyuan was located sat the VIPs of this auction, who had come specifically for the Five Elements Root Fruit.

Instantly, bids rang out one after another, and the price of the Five Elements Root Fruit skyrocketed like a rocket, exceeding 10,000 spirit stones in just a few dozen breaths.

The price increase has not stopped yet, heading straight for even higher prices for spirit stones, showing no sign of slowing down.

Li Xiuyuan sat in the corner, saying nothing; he did not participate in any bidding.

He knew in his heart that even if he was very interested in this Core Formation artifact, it would be difficult for it to fall into his hands.

Firstly, he is only in his early forties and has just established his foundation. He still has nearly two hundred years to prepare, so there is no need to rush.

Those vying for the Five Elements Root Fruit are all cultivators at the late Foundation Establishment stage or even the peak Foundation Establishment stage, whose backgrounds and strength far surpass Li Xiuyuan's.

Moreover, this item could not be bought for less than tens of thousands of spirit stones, and the risk was too great for him at the moment.

"Fifteen thousand!"

"Sixteen thousand!"

As the price of the Five Elements Root Fruit rose higher and higher, many cultivators took out their most treasured spiritual items to offset the price, but found that it was still not enough, and had no choice but to give up.

In the end, only the three monks at the very top remained, fighting each other for power.

Just as the three parties were deadlocked, a tall cultivator emerged from the north pavilion and said with a smile, "I am Song Chunlai, the eldest disciple of Qingfeng Mountain. I sincerely request this item, which costs seventeen thousand spirit stones!"

Qingfeng Mountain is a pseudo-Dan (Golden Core) force in the northern Korean kingdom. Although it is not comparable to the five major sects' Golden Core forces, its sphere of influence is definitely not small, and it is even better than Baihu Mountain.

Given his status as the eldest disciple, there are indeed quite a few people who would give him face.

With a "whoosh," the beaded curtain of the west pavilion was lifted, and an old man with a red face and a long beard, resembling Guan Yu, walked out and laughed, saying, "I am acquainted with Daoist Qingfeng, young friend, please let me have it."

Song Chunlai frowned slightly and said politely, "My sect urgently needs this item. Senior, please forgive me, but I will add another five hundred spirit stones."

A cultivator dressed in blue robes emerged from the south pavilion. He walked slowly, surveyed his surroundings, and said in a calm and unhurried tone, "I am Jian Wuqing of the Golden Sword Sect. One of my senior brothers is nearing the end of his lifespan and urgently needs this item to form his core and prolong his life. Therefore, I have purchased this item for 20,000 spirit stones. Does anyone have any objections?"

Upon hearing this, a handsome young cultivator, riding on a cloud of auspicious light, arrived at the center of the hall and looked at the group.

He was fair-skinned and handsome, with a half-smile on his lips that made it impossible for anyone to feel any malice towards him.

But his handsome appearance caused everyone present to change their expressions drastically, and the hall became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

No one dared to argue with him anymore.

This wasn't because Jian Wuqing's cultivation was exceptionally high; it was simply because the Golden Sword Sect was infamous and had an overwhelming reputation.

In the past century, countless forces and sects have been killed simply for offending cultivators of the Golden Sword Sect with their words.

Moreover, due to the nature of their cultivation techniques, disciples of the Golden Sword Sect often resort to fighting at the slightest disagreement, sometimes even deliberately provoking others, and their duels often end in a fight to the death.

Moreover, this Golden Core sect is extremely protective of its own members, and it is quick to exterminate entire families. Who among those present did not have relatives, friends, or fellow disciples?

If one were to offend this Golden Sword disciple with a slip of the tongue, one would truly be a sinner for all eternity!

After a moment, the first to speak and give in was the old man. He forced a smile and said, "Since it is needed by the esteemed disciple of the Golden Sword Sect, I am willing to do so for a mere spiritual herb."

He spoke as if he were carefree and indifferent, but in reality, his heart was bleeding, and others could see the helplessness in his eyes.

Song Chunlai from Qingfeng Mountain turned pale and then purple, and his originally slightly arrogant expression showed hesitation.

He seemed to be engaged in a fierce internal struggle, yet he still refused to leave.

All eyes were involuntarily drawn to Song Chunlai, the eldest disciple of Qingfeng Mountain, who was the last one to persist.

But at this moment, his face also showed a look of great difficulty.

Jian Wuqing did not press him further; he simply stood there, smiling as he watched him.

This seemingly friendly gesture actually put Song Chunlai under immense pressure, and beads of sweat were visibly forming on his forehead.

Finally, he sighed, shook his head, cupped his hands towards Jian Wuqing, and said with a bitter smile, "Since it is what the Golden Sword Sect fellow Daoist requests, I, Song Chunlai, am willing to withdraw."

His voice trembled slightly, revealing the resentment and helplessness he felt.

Upon seeing this, Jian Wuqing smiled slightly: "Thank you for your kindness, Fellow Daoist Song. I will remember this favor."

Song Chunlai silently clasped his hands in greeting and retreated, looking dejected.

Many female cultivators in the distance watched this scene with admiration in their eyes. The Golden Sword Sect truly lived up to its reputation as a major sect in the Chu Kingdom. Even a Foundation Establishment disciple was someone no one dared to challenge.

Jian Wuqing was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. There were cultivators present who could defeat him, but no matter how much dissatisfaction and indignation they felt, they could only suppress it in their hearts. No one dared to offend that group of "sword madmen," and they all swallowed their anger and dissatisfaction.

Li Xiuyuan glanced around the arena, shaking his head and smiling bitterly to himself.

"It was quite a show. The disciples of the Golden Sword Sect are so domineering. It seems we'll have to be careful when we encounter them in the future."

Just as Li Xiuyuan was watching the show, the Five Elements Root Fruit was bought by Jian Wuqing of the Golden Sword Sect for 20,000 low-grade spirit stones.

With the five elements of the root fruit sold, the auction came to an end.

"I hereby announce that this auction has come to a successful conclusion. Thank you all for your support."

"The Ling Shui Pavilion holds a large-scale auction once every ten years, followed by smaller exchange meetings spontaneously organized by fellow Daoists. If any of you are interested, you are welcome to come and take a look."

"The cultivators who have won the bid for the treasure, please proceed to the backstage to complete the transaction. The rest of you may leave."

Jin Yun was beaming, looking completely absorbed in the moment, and seemed very satisfied with his gains from the auction.

'Knock knock knock'

Three clear chimes echoed throughout the spacious hall, and many cultivators rose to their feet and headed toward the only exit—the bronze gate.

Li Xiuyuan did not leave immediately, but instead used his divine sense to carefully check whether anyone had left a mark on his body.

After confirming that everything was correct and seeing that most of the people had left, he slowly walked towards the exit.

I've acquired both defensive and concealment formations, but unfortunately, I haven't been able to buy any spiritual items suitable for improving my cultivation.

Li Xiuyuan had anticipated this outcome.

The two fundamental cultivation techniques he practiced were both ancient divine arts with formidable power and profound Taoist principles, dating back countless years.

It would be strange if he could easily find the spiritual materials and medicines needed to cultivate techniques, otherwise how could these techniques have been lost?

It's just that the cultivation conditions are too demanding or the spiritual items required are too scarce.

Fortunately, he managed to obtain a genetic formation that appeared to be from the [Hun Yuan Five Elements Immortal Sect], so his goal could be considered barely achieved.

Li Xiuyuan headed towards the entrance of the market.

The number of people at the entrance of the market was several times greater than the last time he came in. Now that the auction was over, the cultivators who came here were all preparing to return home.

The auction, which lasted for a day and a night, came to an end. The sky was already dark, with only the remaining red clouds and sunset in the west, a beautiful sight.

Multicolored streaks of light flew in all directions across the sky, while cultivators with low cultivation levels used spells like "Wind Control Technique" to leap several meters and disappear among the mountains.

Li Xiuyuan was in a great mood. He stood in the open space and admired the beautiful sunset for a while before walking towards the shop at the entrance that forged magical artifacts.

He planned to refine the materials from the demonic beast Flamingo on his body into a flying magic weapon. This beast was most skilled in the art of flight, and it would be a waste to use it directly for alchemy.