Starry Sky Professional

“The starting bid for the 'Danqing Sword' is one hundred low-grade spirit stones!”

Zheng Yuan'ao's announcement sent a chill down Fang Xing's spine.

Even though he was relatively good at making money, he had at most a few dozen spirit stones in hand at the moment, which was already quite impressive for a postnatal martial artist.

To compete for the 'Danqing Sword' might bring unnecessary trouble.

'Besides… Since I'm not stepping out into the market, I really don't have much use for such a good sword right now…'

Just as Fang Xing composed his thoughts, he noticed a congenital martial artist rise with some excitement: "One hundred spirit stones!"

“One hundred and one!”

Other martial artists quickly began to vie for it as well.

The Blood-Refining Weapon!

To a congenital martial artist, if they could cultivate to the peak of the congenital stage and obtain a Blood-Refining Weapon, their status would almost equal that of a mid-stage Qi refinement cultivator.

This was the ultimate ambition for secular martial artists!

Unfortunately, martial artists were often penniless scoundrels, so the price of the 'Danqing Sword' rose very slowly.

“One hundred and twenty spirit stones!”

A voice rang out, making Fang Xing's heart stir as he looked towards the plaza.

The speaker was clad in black, with his face covered, exuding a composed aura but lacking the robust energy typical of congenital martial artists.

“A cultivator!”

“What's a cultivator doing competing with us for a Blood-Refining Weapon?”

“Probably buying it for his offspring or servants.”

The congenital martial artists couldn't help but grumble inwardly.

Fang Xing immediately recognized the owner of the voice. "Is it him? The leader of the Cangshan Five Virtues—Chen Yi! He's here too. But why is he bidding on the Blood-Refining Weapon?"

"One hundred and thirty spirit stones! Heh, Fellow Daoist Chen, you finally show yourself. Thought I couldn't recognize you hiding in the shadows?"

Just then, an arrogant voice echoed from another booth. "What do you want with the Blood-Refining Weapon, Chen Yi? Still trying to reunite with those brothers of yours? Sadly, two of them are dead, and the remaining two feisty women don't seem keen to join you..."

"Is it him? Fu Qing?"

Fang Xing pondered. He couldn't understand why Chen Yi had initially partnered with Fu Qing to ambush Wan Fenglin, only to later turn against him.

‘The only thing that can turn cultivators against each other is profit! Could there be some secret hidden in that nameless desolate valley?’

"One hundred and forty spirit stones! I don't have to explain my actions to you!" Chen Yi, having been discovered, decided to drop all pretense. He tore off his veil, revealing a face that had aged noticeably.

Since they last met, he seemed more weary and haggard.

"One hundred and fifty spirit stones! Old man, step outside the marketplace if you dare!"

Fu Qing harbored deep resentment towards Chen Yi, yet was restrained by the marketplace rules from acting on it. His words were filled with trepidation, giving Fang Xing food for thought.

“Enough! This is the Zheng Family's auction. Please keep personal grievances out of this...”

Zheng Yuan'ao suddenly intervened.

The authority of a Foundation Establishment family was undeniable, and Chen Yi fell silent.

“One hundred and fifty spirit stones, the Danqing Sword goes to the guest in booth number sixteen!”

With Zheng Yuan'ao’s announcement, this minor spectacle came to an end.

But as Fang Xing watched Chen Yi, he suddenly realized his exposure was intentional.

‘He didn’t disguise his voice and openly provoked the Black Tiger Gang... Is he fishing for larger prey? Or perhaps trying to lure a powerful player into the fray? It doesn't even matter if he wins the auction...’

‘Never mind, it's none of my business. Just enjoy the show...’

Fang Xing relaxed back into his chair with a nonchalant air.

Quickly, he found himself unable to remain so leisurely.

“Dragon Blood Pill,” he read aloud, “is concocted primarily from the essence and marrow of the 'Emerald Blood Dragon Carp.' Although it's not of high grade, it's rumored to be a dragon species, carrying traces of the flood dragon bloodline. Therefore, the pill contains dragon power, aiding martial artists or cultivators in tempering their bodies.”

Zheng Yuan'ao held a jade bottle, his voice steady: “Thanks to my family's efforts in eliminating a group of 'Emerald Blood Dragon Carp,' this pill will be available for sale at our pharmacy in the future. For now, we offer ten bottles, each at a starting price of fifty spirit stones! You may submit your bids privately; the top ten will win!”

For the Zheng family, this was merely a small game during the auction's intermission, a way to advertise their pills.

After all, after the elimination of the 'Emerald Blood Dragon Carp,' they retained some seedlings, attempting to cultivate them and expand into an industry chain.

“Flood dragon bloodline?”

Fang Xing's interest was piqued.

“My 'Great Dragon Stance' has stagnated ever since reaching proficiency… I wonder if this pill might be effective?” he mused.

“The Great Dragon Stance is merely an imitation of a dragon, but the Dragon Blood Pill might actually contain a strand of real flood dragon blood. Even its aura would be beneficial… at the very least, it should help me grasp the 'Essence of the Dragon'!”

What is a dragon?

If one hasn't even glimpsed a flood dragon, claiming to comprehend the 'Essence of the Dragon' would be laughable, wouldn't it?

If successful, he could claim his prize using his seat number.

Before long, Zheng Yuan'ao was smiling as he received a slip of paper: “Congratulations to the following ten friends for winning the Dragon Blood Pill—Seat Number Ding 27, Bing 65…”

“Not bad, I actually got it.”

Fang Xing nodded slightly below, a wry smile in his heart: ‘Sixty-seven spirit stones, even more than a Befitting Stage Pill. If it's ineffective, I'll suffer a great loss…’

‘But while the Befitting Stage Pill merely promotes one to the innate stage, the Dragon Blood Pill might allow someone to grasp an essence, the fourth realm's power… So if it works, it's still a gain.’

As he continued watching, he saw one precious auction item after another.

From barrier-breaking pills for the Qi Condensation stage to puppets and spirit plants… it was an extensive selection.

Unfortunately, most were only suitable for cultivators.

“Next, we present one of the three highlight items of this auction!”

Suddenly, Zheng Yuan'ao's voice turned heavy, with a hint of excitement, as he ordered a maid to present a small, dusty pouch.

"A low-grade storage bag, featuring threefold space within. It can store items but not living beings... Starting bid, three thousand low-grade spirit stones!"

Before he could finish, murmurs stirred in the auction hall:

"A storage bag? It's actually a storage bag?"

"So expensive! Such a treasure for storage, I fear only high-level Foundation Establishment cultivators have the right to own one..."

...

"Spatial artifact?"

Fang Xing's eyes lit up.

Though the Blue Star Federation had only average space technology, it was forced to catch up when extraterritorial gods invaded from imaginary spaces. However, it hadn’t managed to intercept all attacks completely.

Such a compact spatial artifact would likely be beyond the reach of even the Federation’s Martial Saints and Martial Gods!

"The key here is... it represents an alternate civilization's interpretation of spatial laws... If sold to top-tier corporations or laboratories, it could easily fetch billions of star credits... No, I don't dare!"

Fang Xing shook his head, listening with interest to Zheng Yuan'ao's introduction. He learned that this 'storage bag' was an extraordinarily unique artifact crafted from the tanned hide of a void-attributed mythical beast, impervious to common magical tools. The crucial factor was... It required either magical power or spiritual consciousness to operate!

"I feel the world's malice; this cultivation world isn’t friendly to me at all..."

he thought, watching the storage bag's price rise steadily until a cultivator in one of the private boxes secured it for six thousand eight hundred spirit stones.

...

"The second to last centerpiece item... is a contract, offering the willing transfer of a store in town, previously known as 'Qingyun Boutique', with a base price of four thousand five hundred spirit stones..."

Zheng Yuan'ao announced with a smile.

"An estate deed? Such a thing is only useful to major powers, isn't it?"

Fang Xing shook his head, watching major powers in private boxes scrambling to bid, ultimately arriving at an astronomical price.

Although the price seemed high, powerful factions that pass down through generations would ultimately make back their investment, like acquiring a hen that lays golden eggs.

This inevitably reminded Fang Xing of those infrastructure projects—high investment, high return, but only over an extended period.

"Hmm? Why does the atmosphere feel a bit off?"

Fang Xing was ready to enjoy the spectacle but realized something was amiss in the auction room.

There was an inexplicable pressure in the air, as if a fierce beast was lurking beside him, watching his every move!

"It's a Foundation Building master!"

"The Zheng Family Ancestor is here. It seems the rumors are true... so it appears the owner of the Qingyun Small Shop is selling off his assets, perhaps for the last auction item..."

Hearing the conversation between two nearby cultivators, Fang Xing's heart was stirred.

Humm!

On the auction stage, patterns of formation runes appeared, coalescing into a large, silver-white translucent bowl, clamping down and tightly securing the entire platform.

Then, with great solemnity, Zheng Yuan'ao personally stepped forward holding a tray:

"The final auction item, a Foundation Building spiritual material—a bottle of Qian Yuan Fiery Malevolence!"

On the tray was just a single jade bottle, appearing to contain a viscous crimson essence. Bright red glows seeped through the jade, releasing searing streams of energy into the atmosphere...

"It's actually a Foundation Building spiritual material!"

"This auction really holds the opportunity for Foundation Building?"

The cultivators present seemed to go wild, especially those at the later Qi refinement stages; their eyes glittered, fixated on Zheng Yuan'ao on the high platform, or more precisely, the jade bottle in his hand.

If it weren't for the intentional aura released by the Zheng Family Ancestor to intimidate everyone, alongside the protective formation, someone might have charged up to snatch it by now!

Foundation Building!

This is the lifelong pursuit of every Qi refinement stage cultivator. Success means a lifespan of over two hundred years and the ability to fly with one's body, commanding respect and authority!

But breaking through to Foundation Building is incredibly challenging, and without the aid of an opportunity, fewer than one in a hundred succeeds, with failure almost certainly leading to death!

The best opportunity for Foundation Establishment is naturally the Foundation Establishment Pill, which is said to increase the success rate by twenty to thirty percent.

Next are various spiritual items useful for overcoming the three hurdles of Foundation Establishment.

Zheng Yuan'ao's voice carried a trace of trembling. It was unclear what immense effort he exerted to tear his gaze away from the 'Hongyuan Fire Fiend': "The Hongyuan Fire Fiend can refine the body and mana, greatly aiding in overcoming the 'Body Barrier' among the three hurdles of Foundation Establishment, and providing slight help with the 'Mana Barrier'... Overall, it can increase the chances of breakthrough for cultivators who have perfected Fire Element techniques by five to ten percent. Its base price is... ten thousand low-grade spirit stones!"

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(End of Chapter)