Yellow Court Daoist-Chapter 35 - The Auction Ends

Unnoticed, the auction had already begun.

A platform rose in the center of the first layer, and upon it stepped an elder clad in a black and white Daoist robe. Gazing around, he spoke in a booming voice:

"Welcome, Fellow Daoists, to this grand auction event."

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

"I, Mo Tiannan, am honored to preside over this auction by invitation of the Thirty-Six Guilds, right here in the rarefied confines of Cui Ping Mountain's Earth Realm."

Mo Tiannan!

This widely respected Loose Cultivator from the nine cities around, already a Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator, his reputation lent this auction a chance to make a prominent debut in Sishui Town.

If the auction goes well, it might even become a regular event. This was the hope of the Thirty-Six Guilds in both Sishui and Ping Mountain Towns.

After all, the profits from an auction were substantial.

"Today, everyone is here for the auction items, so I won't take much of your time. As this is the first time holding this event, I need to explain the rules first."

"The items in this auction will start at set opening bids and everyone is free to bid as they desire. The highest bidder will secure the item. Bids are to be made in spirit stones. If anyone lacks sufficient spirit stones, equivalent goods may be used as a deposit, to be appraised by the appraising masters of the Thirty-Six Guilds!"

"Due to the hasty organization of this auction, those who still have treasures not yet submitted can take them there to be assessed. If they qualify, they'll be included in this auction."

"And for those who are here solely to bid, each subsequent item will bring more mystery, for no one knows what more precious treasures might arrive during the auction!"

Mo Tiannan's clear voice energized the atmosphere.

Then, with an uplifted tone he announced—

"Enough talk, let us bring out the first item to be auctioned!"

As his words echoed, the first auction item was presented.

It was a palm-sized boat model shimmering in dark green.

Mo Tiannan took the model boat and announced loudly, "This treasure is known as 'Divine Wind Boat,' a famous Flying Artifact crafted by Han Sanren, who slew the Ink Flood Dragon and used its fins and tail. Han Sanren needs no introduction and this 'Divine Wind Boat' is a Second Rank Magic Artifact with fifteen Earth Evil Restrictions, starting at two hundred and twenty spirit stones!"

The very first item, a Second Rank Magic Artifact, was an impressive opener!

Many Foundation Establishment Great Cultivators, lacking even First Rank Magic Artifacts and using only top-level talismans, could see how coveted this item was—the starting bid of two hundred twenty spirit stones being enough to build over forty Black Sand Alchemy Room-sized Alchemy Rooms!

The preciousness of Magic Artifacts was self-evident!

Many cultivators, financially strapped, sighed with longing—

"Han Sanren! Interestingly, one of the rare Second Rank Refining Masters in Cui Ping Mountain's Earth Realm, devoted solely to refining. Known as a man of both good and evil, he's nicknamed 'Han LaoMo' and also 'Han Pao Pao' for his unrivaled evasion skills. His crafts, especially flying artifacts, are surely going to cause a frenzy!"

Zhang Zong, as a top-level artifact refining apprentice, was keen on refining knowledge.

Lu Qingfeng, deeply immersed in cultivation with little worldly experience, felt that coming here was already worth it just to hear such stories, even if he ended up not winning any bids.

As Zhang Zong expected,

The bidding for the Divine Wind Boat skyrocketed from two hundred twenty spirit stones to three hundred before slowing down.

Normally, the price for a Second Rank Magic Artifact ranged from two hundred to four hundred spirit stones.

Given the Divine Wind Boat's fifteen restrictions, it was of mid-tier quality amongst Second Rank Magic Artifacts, priced around three hundred spirit stones. Its association with Han Sanren would push its price even higher, but there was a limit to its worth.

"These are the real moneybags!"

Lu Qingfeng watched the unstinting bids, unable to resist commenting.

Before coming, Zhang Zong and others had joked about him dominating the auction. Witnessing the extravagant bids, Lu Qingfeng realized his financial status was modest at best.

Over the years, he made high profits from refining low-level elixirs like Yellow Dragon Pills, achieving a 240% profit margin even after the Guild took a 20% cut. His mastery over refining intermediate and advanced elixirs like Golden Marrow Pills, Qi Movement Powder, and Qi Union Pill had further increased his profits.

Refining elixirs for two hours a day, Lu Qingfeng earned more than two spirit stone fragments daily.

Plus, he received cuts from several apprentice disciples he trained.

Accumulating wealth over time, despite costs of cultivation, mastering new Elixir Recipes, and expenses in artifact refining, his net worth had reached twenty-eight spirit stones!

Yet compared to those who could casually spend two or three hundred spirit stones, Lu Qingfeng felt impoverished.

Hearing Lu Qingfeng mumble, Wang Tao turned and smiled, "These investments are pooled by the Guilds to boost their strength. Individual cultivators, even Great Cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Stage, rarely can afford such magical artifacts."

This made Lu Qingfeng feel somewhat better.

Individuals truly couldn't be compared to Guilds.

The Yuan Yi Guild, among the many in the Bingling Realm, ranked mid-tier but still managed substantial income from various industries. Lu Qingfeng's wealth was dwarfed in comparison.

The bidding for the Divine Wind Boat was fierce but soon concluded.

Ultimately, the Tianhe Guild from the third layer secured it for three hundred twenty-seven spirit stones.

This first item had pushed the auction to its climax, with subsequent items not as precious as the Divine Wind Boat but still quite rare.

Various valuable Magic Artifacts, talismans, demon beast materials, rare talisman scripts and elixirs, and even incomplete cultivation methods and techniques.

Clearly, the Thirty-Six Guilds had invested much effort to gather many treasures for this event.

Magic Artifacts and talismans were things Lu Qingfeng was either disinterested in or couldn't afford.

Demon beast materials were of no use to him.

However, he showed some interest when incomplete cultivation methods came up. But upon seeing that the incomplete method was only at the Refined Level and could only cultivate up to the True Qi Realm, Lu Qingfeng promptly lost interest.

He was currently cultivating the True Sect Level "Qing Yuan Sword Technique," derived from a Refined Level Technique. He would only be enticed by at least a Side Door Level Technique.

However, given the standards of this auction, the chances of a Side Door Level Technique appearing were slim to none.

Halfway through the auction, the puppet Lu Qingfeng had been waiting for finally appeared.

Before Mo Tiannan, a battered human-shaped puppet that revealed its inner mechanisms, approximately ten feet tall with damage running from its chest through to its back, was hoisted up.

It was extremely damaged.

Mo Tiannan, ignoring the puppet's battered state, passionately introduced it, "This is a combat puppet from the Six Ren Guild, which suffered damages from a demon beast's sneak attack during a recent beast tide. Although this puppet is only 30% intact, if any Fellow Daoist wins the bid and finds an Artifact Refiner to do minor repairs, they could easily possess a third-level puppet!"

"Bidding starts now, with an opening price of five spirit stones!"

A third-level puppet, with combat power equivalent to the Foundation Establishment's first realm—Energy Introduction Realm. A complete third-level puppet would be valued above a First Rank Magic Artifact, and even close to a Second Rank Magic Artifact, approximately requiring around one hundred and eighty spirit stones.

However, this third-level puppet, no more than 30% complete, most valuable parts likely dismantled, was at best a semi-complete skeleton, semi-complete exoskeleton, and incomplete talisman array and various connectors.

This nearly scrapped third-level puppet, insanely set at an opening bid of five spirit stones, silenced the auction hall spread over three floors.

"Has the Six Ren Guild gone mad for money?"

Zhang Zong glanced at a spot on the second floor, then turned to Lu Qingfeng and said, "Lao Lu, this price is inflated, don't bid. After it fails to sell, I can get it for you from the Six Ren Guild for just two spirit stones."

Zhang Zong, who was familiar with the ins and outs and worried Lu Qingfeng might act impulsively, couldn't help but advise him.

"Then I thank Brother Zhang in advance!"

Lu Qingfeng wasn't really in need of a large puppet, especially not one three meters tall and so heavily damaged at such a high price.

However, since Zhang Zong mentioned getting it for merely two spirit stones, it fell within Lu Qingfeng's acceptable range.

Throughout the latter part of the auction, several more puppets appeared, all in severe states of disrepair.

Their prices were not as outrageously set as those by the Six Ren Guild.

Lu Qingfeng bought one of them, over two meters high and only 20% intact, for just one spirit stone.

To his delight, towards the tail end of the auction, two items appeared that he truly desired.

One was a miniature human-shaped puppet that Lu Qingfeng had been yearning for, 70% intact and capable of remote-control operations. After refining its core Thousand Machine Stone, one could control the puppet's movements within a range of fifteen meters.

But the puppet was too weak, only second-level, and even in a complete state, its combat power would only be equivalent to the True Qi Realm, deemed insufficient by many attendees.

Lu Qingfeng easily acquired it for thirty spirit stone fragments.

The other item, brought for auction alongside this puppet, was reportedly the lifetime insights of a high-level Alchemy Apprentice named Huang Tiangu, who had no interest in conventional artifact refining, focusing solely on puppet refining.

His research philosophy was somewhat similar to Lu Qingfeng's, both aiming to investigate remotely controlled or even autonomously fighting puppets.

After nearly a hundred years, the results were middling.

The refined puppets could only be controlled within fifteen meters. Moreover, with a strength not exceeding second-level, they were somewhat trivial for True Qi Realm cultivators and had a limited market.

Rumored to have faded from public view for over ten years, it was a surprise when Huang Tianhong's "Huang's Puppet Manual" appeared at this auction.

The human-shaped puppet initially attracted little attention, but many were interested in "Huang's Puppet Manual."

Huang Tiangu pursued puppet research for nearly a hundred years and even achieved some results. If one could continue his line of thinking, perhaps a puppet capable of long-distance control or executing orders autonomously could truly be developed.

Thus, "Huang's Puppet Manual" started at a base price of fifty spirit stone fragments and soared to eight spirit stones!

Eventually, Lu Qingfeng acquired it.

Eight spirit stones!

Paying this for a high-level Alchemy Apprentice's refining insights was beyond inflated!

It was only because many Alchemy Apprentices and even Artifact Refiners believed they could gain inspiration for puppet refining from the manual that they drove up the price.

But their confidence in obtaining inspiration and breakthroughs from "Huang's Puppet Manual" was seriously lacking; they were merely hoping to buy a possibility.

Bidding up to seven or eight spirit stones had already reached astronomical levels.

Unlike them, Lu Qingfeng confidently increased his bids. With the "Derivation Technique," Lu Qingfeng had far more confidence than the rest!

After acquiring the small puppet and "Huang's Puppet Manual," Lu Qingfeng also purchased an Elixir Recipe for 'feeding Spirit Pills,' said to be specifically for cultivating spiritual beasts and accelerating their advancement.

Unfortunately, due to damages and ingredient extinction over time, it was impossible to refine feeding spirit pills just from the recipe.

Lu Qingfeng acquired it, planning to try if the Derivation Technique could complete the recipe.

It was only over twenty spirit stone fragments, after all.

Shortly after procuring the 'Feeding Spirit Pill' recipe, the auction concluded.

With the final item acquired by a Loose Cultivator, the first auction by the company named 'Xuanji Auction,' jointly organized by the Thirty-Six Guilds, successfully ended.

With over two hundred items on sale, this had been one of the rare grand auctions of recent times.

Seeing how well this auction was received, the Xuanji Auction might well be a permanent event.

However, these were matters for big shots like Mu Yuanyi and other Guild leaders to worry about, Lu Qingfeng cared little for such things.

Having acquired his desired items, he didn't linger in Sishui Town but returned to Yuan Yi Mountain with Zhang Zong, Yue Ran, and friends who also disliked crowds.

...