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

As time slowly passed, the auction gradually came to an end.

After a long bidding process, the cultivators not only did not feel tired, but became even more energetic.

Everyone knows that at this point, the really good stuff is about to appear.

Finally, amidst much anticipation, the grand finale item was unveiled.

"Fellow Daoists, this is the penultimate item in this auction, something every Qi Refining cultivator dreams of: Moon Essence True Water!"

Moonlight and True Water!

The moment those four words were uttered, the entire assembly of cultivators erupted in a commotion.

Moon Essence True Water is a well-known treasure in the entire cultivation world, and it is also a treasure that every Qi Refining cultivator knows about.

This is because Moon Essence True Water, like Foundation Establishment Pill, has the effect of increasing the probability of a cultivator establishing their foundation. It is also a rare, naturally formed foundation-establishing spiritual object in the cultivation world.

Some cultivators whose cultivation was stuck at the tenth level of Qi Refining suddenly stood up, their eyes fixed on the jade bottle on the platform, their eyes filled with burning desire.

Even many Foundation Establishment cultivators showed signs of interest.

Although they don't need foundation-building spiritual items, who doesn't have a few juniors or disciples?

Seeing the restlessness among the cultivators, Ma Kun continued, "This item can increase the probability of Foundation Establishment by 10%, and it does not conflict with the effects of Foundation Establishment Pills and can be used together. In addition to assisting in Foundation Establishment, Moon Essence True Water is also an extremely rare spiritual item for cultivators, with a very strong effect of refining mana. Fellow cultivators, please do not miss it."

"The starting bid for this treasure is 1,500 spirit stones! Each bid must be at least 50 spirit stones higher."

Foundation Establishment Spiritual Objects, especially those that can be taken together with Foundation Establishment Pills, can increase the probability of Foundation Establishment by 10%, which indeed made all the Qi Refining cultivators present envious.

However, once the starting price of 1,500 spirit stones was announced, 99% of the Qi Refining cultivators were instantly disqualified from bidding.

Most low-level Qi Refining cultivators can only save two or three hundred spirit stones a year by living frugally. Even veteran Qi Refining cultivators at the eighth or ninth level might not be able to scrape together 1,500 spirit stones even if they emptied their entire fortune.

Only Qi Refining cultivators who have reached the tenth level of Qi Refining early on and whose cultivation has reached its limit might be able to accumulate enough spirit stones to participate in the competition for Moon Essence True Water.

No one would want to miss such an opportunity if there was even the slightest chance.

"One thousand six hundred spirit stones!"

A cultivator at the tenth level of Qi Refining, dressed in a gray robe, was the first to make a bid.

"Seventeen hundred spirit stones."

Another voice rang out, raising the price of Moon Essence True Water by one hundred spirit stones.

"One thousand eight hundred spirit stones."

"One thousand nine hundred spirit stones."

The auction immediately erupted into the fiercest competition since it began, with even the Foundation Establishment cultivators on the second floor unable to resist joining the bidding.

In a short while, the price of Moon Essence Water was raised to three thousand spirit stones, temporarily securing the top spot on the bidding list for all items in this auction.

Once the price exceeds this level, the rate of price increases slows down significantly.

Currently, only three cultivators remain participating in the auction, including the Foundation Establishment cultivator on the second floor.

All three were quite restrained in their pricing, adding only one unit of price each time.

It's obvious to anyone with eyes that this price has already reached the bottom of the budget in the minds of the three of them, and they have to think long and hard before they can raise the price.

After all, Moon Essence True Water is not a Foundation Establishment Pill; it can only increase the probability of Foundation Establishment by 10%. If you can't get it this time, you may encounter it in other places next time.

Whether you're a mortal or a cultivator, you have to consider the cost-effectiveness.

Just when everyone thought that the Foundation Establishment artifact was about to fall into the hands of one of the three, a voice suddenly rang out from the back row of seats on the first floor of the auction house.

"Three thousand five hundred spirit stones!"

The announcement of the bid instantly drew the attention of all the cultivators present.

Many Qi Refining cultivators turned their heads in unison, and countless gazes were fixed on the person who had spoken in the back row. A murmur of excitement instantly filled the entire hall.

"It's him, the cultivator who won the Jade Mushroom Pill! I didn't expect he still had the resources to bid for the Moon Essence True Water!"

"Just who is this person?"

Whispers arose one after another as the cultivators began to speculate about the identity of the person who made the offer.

The cultivator who quoted 3,500 spirit stones was none other than Zhang Li; he was the only one in the entire hall on the first floor with that kind of wealth.

Seeing that everyone's eyes were on him, Zhang Li sat there, his expression unchanged.

The face he is showing now is not his original face at all. After mastering the shape-changing technique, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would never be able to discover his true identity.

A Golden Core cultivator could easily see through his disguise, but given the scale of this auction, they couldn't afford to have a Golden Core cultivator present.

Zhang Li's sudden bid caught the three off guard. One of the Foundation Establishment cultivators in the private room snorted in dissatisfaction and did not continue to bid.

Another cultivator at the tenth level of Qi Refining also showed obvious hesitation. After hesitating for a while, he finally chose to give up.

Clearly, this price point is the limit that the two of them can afford.

For a time, only Zhang Li and another Foundation Establishment cultivator whose identity was unknown remained who wanted to continue participating in the auction.

"Three thousand five hundred spirit stones, fellow Daoist, would you like to continue bidding?"

Ma Kun's voice arrived late, but it was full of urging.

"Three thousand six hundred spirit stones!"

Encouraged by Ma Kun, the Foundation Establishment cultivator whose identity was unknown spoke up again, raising the price by one hundred spirit stones.

Three thousand six hundred spirit stones is an extremely high price, enough to buy a second-tier spirit weapon.

After seeing Qin Ying, who possessed dual spiritual roots, fail to establish his foundation even with the Foundation Establishment Pill, Zhang Li's perception of the difficulty of Foundation Establishment more than doubled.

Therefore, he was determined to obtain this foundation-building spiritual object.

Compared to Foundation Establishment, what are a few spirit stones?

"Three thousand seven hundred spirit stones!"

Zhang Li raised the price again, his tone very firm, as if he was determined to go all the way.

After a moment of silence in the second-floor cubicle, the voice rang out again, this time with a hint of suppressed anger: "Three thousand seven hundred and fifty spirit stones, young friend, young people shouldn't be so impetuous."

"Three thousand eight hundred spirit stones!"

Zhang Li did not hesitate for a moment; her voice was calm but she did not give an inch.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator in the private room remained silent for a long time, his Foundation Establishment aura subtly fluctuating, clearly showing his anger. However, fearing the auction's warning, he ultimately refrained from acting out: "Young friend, with your wealth, this Moon Essence True Water is yours."

Gao Tai Ma Kun immediately perked up and loudly repeated the bid: "Three thousand eight hundred spirit stones! The fellow Daoist on the second floor has voluntarily withdrawn from the bidding. Are there any other fellow Daoists who would like to raise the price?"

The room fell silent; not a sound could be heard.

Ma Kun immediately raised his gavel and loudly announced the price: "Three thousand eight hundred spirit stones for the first time! Three thousand eight hundred spirit stones for the second time! Three thousand eight hundred spirit stones for the third time!"

"Congratulations to this fellow Daoist for winning the final item of this auction!"

Hearing this, Zhang Li breathed a sigh of relief, "Finally, I got it."

Next up is the last item in this auction: a 600-year-old snow ginseng, but that has nothing to do with Zhang Li anymore.

After bidding for the Moon Essence Water, he left early to settle the two items he had purchased, preparing to depart the auction venue ahead of schedule.