"Welcome, Senior Brother, to the Spirit Beast Mountain Auction. If you wish to auction items, please go this way. The next small auction will begin in half an hour."
"If you are consigning items, please present them so we can appraise them."
Facing the attendant, Li Feiyu's voice was icy: "Consignment. Go and fetch your manager. You are not qualified to appraise my items."
The attendant glanced at Li Feiyu, led him to the reception room, and then called for the auction's deacon.
This was a slightly corpulent middle-aged Cultivator, at the twelfth level of Qi refining .
"I am the deacon of this auction. My surname is Huang. How should I address Junior Brother?"
"Senior Brother Huang, my name is Han Li."
"So it is Junior Brother Han."
Both exchanged polite greetings, after which Deacon Huang said: "May I ask what item Junior Brother Han wishes to consign?"
Han Li took out a porcelain bottle, which contained only one Medicinal Pill.
Deacon Huang opened it, and a rich, fragrant scent instantly wafted out, refreshing and invigorating, even making his Realm stir with anticipation.
He immediately capped the bottle, saying with an incredulous expression: "Foundation Establishment Pill?!"
Li Feiyu nodded, "Precisely."
Deacon Huang stared at Li Feiyu with a strange look, "Junior Brother Han, you were fortunate enough to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill, why would you want to auction it?"
Li Feiyu sighed: "My Aptitude is limited, Junior Brother. If it were peacetime, I certainly wouldn't sell it, but now we face a Demonic Path invasion. Exchanging it for more resources can increase my means of self-preservation."
Deacon Huang nodded slightly; he felt that Li Feiyu's words were indeed reasonable.
"Since Junior Brother Han has made up his mind, I will not stop him."
"Don't worry, I will immediately send messages to those Qi refining Great Perfection Disciples of Spirit Beast Mountain who are about to undergo Foundation Establishment . I expect each of them will be tempted."
"Then I will trouble Senior Brother Huang. Oh, and I also have some Magical Artifacts here; please help me auction them off as well."
"No problem."
Deacon Huang smiled slightly, appearing very amiable.
"With a Foundation Establishment Pill as the finale, my auction must also bring out some good items."
Li Feiyu's heart stirred, "Senior Brother Huang, may I have a copy of the auction list?"
"Of course. Please go to the VIP room first, and I will have an attendant send it to you shortly."
"Oh, Junior Brother Han, because it will take time for those who are truly interested and can afford it to arrive, the auction will start in about three hours. Is that acceptable?"
"Yes, everything is at Senior Brother Huang's discretion."
The Spirit Beast Mountain Auction used several communication talismans to send messages to all eligible Qi refining Great Perfection Disciples.
For a time, Qi refining Great Perfection Disciples from various locations took action, borrowing Spirit Stones, resources, and so on, then rushed to the market auction.
Some Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators were also interested and hurried over.
Some were buying for their Family juniors, while others planned to bid for them to save for a future Genius junior.
After all, this was a truly rare Medicinal Pill, a strategic resource.
In VIP Room Three, Li Feiyu was reviewing the upcoming auction list.
Going through it, he had little interest in most of the items.
"High Grade Magical Artifact, Flowing Cloud Boots. It's time for a change; after all, I've reached Foundation Establishment , and a High Grade Magical Artifact is a bit low-tier."
"A pair of Soul Devouring Golden Cicada eggs?!"
Li Feiyu's understanding of Spirit Insects and Spirit Beasts was no longer that of a novice.
The book introducing the Soul Devouring Golden Cicada stated: [The Soul Devouring Golden Cicada, ranked twenty-eighth on the Spirit Insect List, can devour Spiritual Qi and various other exotic energies. Its defense is extremely strong, and its speed is fast, making it an exceptionally powerful Spirit Insect.]
The book also noted that swarms of Soul Devouring Golden Cicada posed a significant threat even to Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators.
However, they were extremely difficult to raise. Restrictions effective on other Spirit Insects were not very effective on them. If the breeder could not satisfy their needs, there was a high probability they would devour their master, leading them to be considered vicious insects. Therefore, even if Spirit Beast Mountain possessed this Spirit Insect, few people would attempt to raise them.
"This is interesting. A treasured artifact that devours its master, and now I encounter a Spirit Insect that devours its master. Am I naturally fated with these master-devouring fellows?"
However, Li Feiyu felt that the Soul Devouring Golden Cicada had cultivation value, so he planned to buy them first, hatch them, and then try feeding them longevity liquid to see if it could satisfy their needs.
Besides the Soul Devouring Golden Cicada he intended to acquire, Li Feiyu also had a Golden-backed Demonic Mantis Spirit Insect egg and a Fire Crow Spirit Beast egg obtained from the Blazing Zenith Sect Legacy.
He planned to hatch and carefully Cultivate them once he reached the Chaotic Star Sea.
During this trip to the market, besides buying Spirit Medicine for refining Medicinal Pills to advance his Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation, he also needed to refine Scarlet Sun Pills and other Medicinal Pills to assist in cultivating the Spells and Divine Abilities recorded in the Inferno Apex Meridian Art 's Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivation Technique, as well as refine Spirit Feeding Pills, which are suitable Medicinal Pills for the daily consumption of Spirit Insects and Spirit Beasts.
"A Talisman Treasure with one use remaining?"
"There are indeed many items at the auction. Although they all have some flaws, they are still very valuable treasures for Qi Refining stage Cultivators, and I estimate some Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators will also be tempted."
Time passed little by little, and soon the auction began.
Although not fully prepared, this auction was still exceptionally lively due to the Foundation Establishment Pill.
Deacon Huang also expanded the scale because he recognized the Foundation Establishment Pill's appeal.
With more bidders, some items that were usually unwanted might find buyers, and some items that typically sold for low prices might fetch much higher bids.
Magical Artifacts auctioned were at least Medium Grade, mostly High Grade, with very few Top Grade Magical Artifacts.
There were also Medicinal Pills, and Cultivators bid most frequently on Medicinal Pills that enhanced cultivation.
"The next item up for auction is a Top Grade Magical Artifact. Its name is the Flowing Cloud Boots. It comes with wind-elemental Spells. Wearing them, one's movement speed is extremely fast, easily leaving behind afterimages."
"Furthermore, they can also emit wind blades, catching people by surprise, making them a rare speed-type Top Grade Magical Artifact."
"The Flowing Cloud Boots, starting bid is thirty Spirit Stones, with each increment not less than two Spirit Stones."
"Now, let the bidding begin!"
"Thirty Spirit Stones!"
"I bid thirty-six!"
"Forty Spirit Stones!"
...
The Flowing Cloud Boots were indeed excellent Magical Artifacts, very suitable for both escape and offense, hence many people bid for them.
The price quickly reached three hundred fifty Spirit Stones. At this point, the number of bidders suddenly decreased.
Three hundred fifty Spirit Stones was already a considerable fortune for Qi Refining stage Cultivators; many Cultivators did not possess that many Spirit Stones.
"I bid three hundred fifty-five Spirit Stones!"
The speaker was a young-looking Cultivator, but the aura emanating from him was that of the Foundation Establishment Stage.
The Qi Refining Stage Disciples who had previously intended to bid immediately fell silent.
Competing with a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator? Wasn't that asking for trouble?
One of the great principles of cultivation was caution. Those who weren't cautious had long become nourishment for others, dry bones beneath their feet.
Besides fearing Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators, another reason was that the price was already quite high.
For a general attack-type Top Grade Magical Artifact, two hundred fifty Spirit Stones would be about right.
"Are there any other bidders?"
"Three hundred fifty-five Spirit Stones once, three hundred fifty-five Spirit Stones twice…"
"Three hundred sixty Spirit Stones!"
A voice came from VIP Room Three, and it was Li Feiyu who spoke.
To save words, he deliberately waited until the last moment to speak.
The young Foundation Establishment Cultivator looked towards the VIP room, his brows slightly furrowed, and he gazed at VIP Room Three with displeasure.
Each VIP room at the auction had a magic array that blocked Spiritual sense probing, so those outside did not know who was inside.
"Three hundred seventy Spirit Stones!"
The young Foundation Establishment Cultivator gritted his teeth and said: "Junior Brother in VIP Room Three, you should think carefully, is these Flowing Cloud Boots really worth it?"
"Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother. Three hundred eighty Spirit Stones."
"Hmph!" The young Foundation Establishment Cultivator snorted coldly. He believed that anyone daring to bid against him must also be a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, hence he addressed him as Junior Brother.
"I'll let you have these Flowing Cloud Boots. I hope Junior Brother doesn't find them too hot to handle!"
"Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother!"
Li Feiyu wondered, giving up so easily, was it because the price was too high, or did he have other plans?
The auctioneer called out three times, and after no one else spoke, he finally struck the gavel, determining the ownership of the Flowing Cloud Boots.
"Congratulations to the esteemed guest in VIP Room Three for successfully bidding three hundred eighty Spirit Stones for the Flowing Cloud Boots!"