Ascending from the mortal realm to become an immortal begins with taking charge of a grotto-heaven.

"Nine hundred and sixty spirit stones. Are there any fellow cultivators who can offer a higher bid?"

As Ma Kun described the effects of the Jade Stone Elixir, he looked at the cultivators below the stage with anticipation in his eyes.

Encouraged by him, a cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining actually raised the price to 970 spirit stones.

"Shill!"

Zhang Li cursed under his breath and could only raise the price again, quoting 980 spirit stones.

With the price already approaching a thousand spirit stones, no other cultivator was willing to compete with him.

"Congratulations, fellow Daoist, on winning the bid for this Jade Mushroom Pill. You are welcome to come and complete the transaction at any time."

After asking three times as usual, Ma Kun saw that no one was bidding and decisively struck the gavel.

With the main objective of the trip achieved, Zhang Li breathed a sigh of relief.

Next, when I saw something that interested me, I tried to bid on it a few times, but unfortunately, I didn't succeed in bidding on it even once.

He doesn't need these items urgently, so there's no need for him to spend a lot of money bidding at the auction.

Before anyone knew it, more than ten items were successfully auctioned off at the scene.

"The next item is quite rare, so you should definitely not miss it."

As he spoke, Ma Kun's gaze frequently drifted towards the private rooms on the second floor, seemingly intentionally or unintentionally.

It is obvious that this item was prepared for the Foundation Establishment cultivators on the second floor.

His deliberate action instantly piqued the curiosity of all the cultivators present. They all craned their necks, eager to know what was inside the jade box.

Zhang Li was also quite curious, as high-grade treasures were even rarer than high-level cultivators.

Ma Kun's eyes were almost slits as he slowly opened the jade box, which whetted everyone's appetite.

Once the jade box was opened, two small bracelets, one red and one green, were revealed inside. The bracelets were made of neither gold nor jade, and their surface was covered with a faint, ethereal glow.

"This...this could be a top-grade magic weapon!"

A sharp-eyed Qi Refining cultivator in the front row exclaimed in surprise and couldn't help but stand up.

"That's right, they are top-grade magic artifacts, and a rare set at that. Both bracelets are top-grade magic artifacts. The red bracelet is called Burning Spirit, and the blue bracelet is called Concealing Silence. One is for offense and the other for support, complementing each other. They are an extremely rare set of top-grade magic artifacts."

"The Burning Spirit Bracelet is primarily for offense. It is inlaid with fire-type spirit patterns, which can greatly amplify various fire-type spells. It condenses blazing flames to attack enemies, making it fierce and domineering. It is an excellent offensive magic weapon."

"The Concealed Tranquility Bracelet is primarily for defense. It has been personally tested by the Treasure Pavilion and can even enhance the defense against attacks from mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators. It is an excellent defensive magic weapon."

After introducing the pair of top-grade magic artifacts, Ma Kun announced loudly, "The starting price for the top-grade magic artifacts, the Spirit-Burning Bracelet and the Tranquilizing Bracelet, is 1,300 spirit stones. Each bid must be at least 20 spirit stones higher. Fellow Daoists, you may now place your bids!"

The starting bid of 1,300 spirit stones is the highest starting bid for any item since the start of the auction, but it is definitely worth the price.

Zhang Li watched from the back row, and neither of the two top-grade magic artifacts spoke.

This was also the first time he had ever seen a top-grade magic weapon, and he had little chance of encountering one in the short term.

Price isn't the main reason; the most important factor is cultivation level. Even a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator can't sustain their mana consumption for even half a quarter of an hour once they activate a top-grade magic weapon.

Only Foundation Establishment cultivators can fully activate top-grade magical artifacts and unleash their true power using their abundant liquid true essence.

Generally, Foundation Establishment cultivators who have just established their foundation or do not have much wealth will choose to use top-grade magic weapons for a period of time, and only go back to buy second-tier magic weapons after they have enough spirit stones.

Strangely, the group of master cultivators in the private room on the second floor were unusually restrained at this moment, and none of them made a bid.

Time ticked by, and half an hour passed in the blink of an eye. The entire auction hall remained deathly silent, the atmosphere eerily strange. This situation left the Qi Refining cultivators in the lobby on the first floor looking at each other in bewilderment, especially since this rare and top-grade magic artifact was expected to be the first item to be auctioned off.

However, Ma Kun didn't seem to be in a hurry at all, and still had a smiling face.

After a while, a Foundation Establishment cultivator finally lost his patience, and an old, hoarse voice slowly came from a private room on the second floor, breaking the deathly silence of the entire place.

"Since no one is bidding, I'll go first: 1,400 spirit stones!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a mocking laugh rang out from the opposite private room, the deep, sarcastic voice carrying a hint of sarcasm throughout the room.

"Old ghost Wu, you've been holding back for so long, and you've only just come up with this price? Did you spend all your spirit stones on those little vixens at Ningxiang Pavilion? Sixteen hundred spirit stones."

Gao Tai Ma Kun's smile deepened as he loudly repeated his previous offer: "One thousand six hundred spirit stones! Is there any fellow Daoist willing to raise the price?"

As these two Foundation Establishment cultivators made their bids, the other Foundation Establishment cultivators in the second-floor private room finally joined the auction.

"One thousand six hundred and sixty spirit stones!"

"One thousand seven hundred spirit stones!"

"One thousand eight hundred spirit stones!"

Bidding calls came one after another, and the price soared rapidly, soon breaking through the two thousand spirit stones mark.

"Two thousand four hundred spirit stones!"

A clear, cold female voice suddenly rang out, adding three hundred spirit stones and suppressing the rising and falling bidding sounds.

The Qi Refining cultivators on the first floor were shocked. Two thousand four hundred spirit stones—such wealth was beyond their comprehension.

The cultivator known as Old Ghost Wu paused for a moment, his tone becoming more solemn, before speaking again: "Fairy Liu is quite generous, giving two thousand four hundred and twenty spirit stones."

"Two thousand six hundred spirit stones."

The Foundation Establishment cultivator, known as Fairy Willow, raised the price by over a hundred spirit stones again, though his tone was calm.

As soon as 2,600 spirit stones were spent, many of the private rooms on the second floor that had been eager to try their luck instantly fell silent.

Clearly, this price exceeded their budget.

After a long silence, Wu Laogui's hoarse voice rang out again, tinged with a hint of heartache: "Two thousand six hundred and twenty spirit stones. Fairy, these two bracelets of wood and fire are perfectly compatible with my cultivation technique. I hope you will give them to me."

"It all depends on fate." Fairy Liu's voice came calmly, without the slightest hint of yielding. "Two thousand six hundred and forty spirit stones."

"Two thousand six hundred and forty spirit stones. Are there any fellow Daoists who would like to bid higher? A complete set of top-grade offensive and defensive magic weapons is a rare sight. Fellow Daoists, don't miss this opportunity."

The auction hall was quiet, with only Ma Kun's echoing voice remaining.

After a long while, a heavy sigh came from Wu Laogui's private room, his hoarse voice full of helplessness: "Fairy Liu is rich and powerful, I can't compete with her, so I have to give up."

Ma Kun's gaze swept over all the cubicles on the second floor, and he shouted three times in quick succession: "Two thousand six hundred and forty spirit stones for the first time! Two thousand six hundred and forty spirit stones for the second time! Two thousand six hundred and forty spirit stones for the third time!"

"Thump!"

The mallet fell heavily, its crisp sound echoing throughout the arena.

"Sold! This set of Burning Spirit and Concealing Tranquility bracelets belongs to Fellow Daoist Liu on the second floor. You can proceed to the counter to complete the transaction after the event."

The Qi Refining cultivators on the first floor sighed in unison, filled with envy. Two thousand six hundred spirit stones was an enormous sum that they could hardly accumulate even after decades of saving.