Chapter 119: Just One Price Higher
Under the moonlight, goose feather-like snowflakes slowly drifted down from the sky.
The cold did not dampen the cultivators’ enthusiasm for the Tianxuan City Auction. On the contrary, the silhouettes in the snow drew many envious gazes from other cultivators.
Those who could attend the auction possessed wealth and cultivation far beyond what they could compare to.
【Lifespan: 61/215】
【Realm: Foundation Establishment Early Stage (26/100)】
Amidst the wind and snow, Lin Chang’an, in disguise, sighed with emotion. Another year of snow and wind.
Back when he emerged after breaking through to Foundation Establishment, the first scene he had seen was also falling snow.
“Ever since I began using Second-rank Pills to aid my cultivation, the speed has doubled. In just half a year, my progress increased by 4 points.”
After entering the auction venue, Lin Chang’an looked at his attribute panel and quietly sighed.
An increase of 8 points per year meant that in just over nine years, he would break through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment around the age of seventy.
He had established his Foundation at fifty-four. Breaking through to mid-stage at seventy meant a sixteen-year span—nothing particularly astonishing.
“After all, I’m a Mid-grade Second-rank Talisman Master. It’s only natural that with resources in place, my cultivation would progress quickly.”
Thinking of this, Lin Chang’an couldn’t help but reveal a satisfied smile. At this pace, reaching Golden Core was a tangible goal.
As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he sat in a private room, looking out at the densely packed cultivators. Because of the concealment formations, he couldn’t see their faces.
“Welcome, fellow Daoists, to the first auction hosted by Tianxuan City. This humble girl, Han Lin’er of Xuanyin Pavilion, is responsible for today’s auction.”
A stunningly beautiful female cultivator appeared, her oriole-like voice reverberating throughout the hall, prompting exclamations from the crowd.
It was actually someone from Xuanyin Pavilion—one could imagine how close Tianxuan City and Xuanyin Pavilion had become.
“To think she has reached Foundation Establishment.”
Inside his private room, Lin Chang’an showed a look of realization upon seeing a familiar figure.
The last time he saw this woman had been at the Qingzhu Mountain Marketplace when the Azure-Horned Bull was being auctioned. At that time, she had only been at the Late Qi Refining Stage. Now, like him, she had become a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
“This auction is jointly hosted by our Xuanyin Pavilion and Tianxuan City. The rules are the same as always—no divine sense threats, malicious bidding, or private collusion… anyone who disrupts the order—
I ask all fellow Daoists to consider whether you can bear the wrath of our three Golden Core cultivators of Xuanyin Pavilion and Master Lu of Tianxuan City, the number one rogue cultivator.”
With a radiant smile, Han Lin’er spoke softly, her words full of implied threat—an unmistakable warning not to stir up trouble.
At the same time, it brought a strong sense of security to everyone present.
“Let the auction begin!”
As the first item was presented, Han Lin’er introduced it with a full smile, stirring up excitement among the gathered cultivators.
After all, Qi Refining cultivators made up the majority.
Inside his private room, Lin Chang’an watched the scenes unfold and couldn’t help but feel nostalgic.
Back then, he too had been this way—excited over a pill or magical artifact useful for Qi Refining cultivators.
Looking back now, it felt like just yesterday.
Amid the fervor of the auction, one treasure after another took the stage.
Pills, magical artifacts, spirit pets, cultivation methods—one after another, treasures appeared and were bid upon.
In another Foundation Establishment private room—
“Grandfather, a High-grade Magical Artifact actually costs over twelve hundred Spirit Stones.”
Chen Wen couldn’t help but be shocked. Lately, prices seemed to be rising across the board.
Normally, High-grade Magical Artifacts for Qi Refining cultivators cost around a thousand Spirit Stones. Only flying needles or special-function items were pricier.
“What did you expect?”
Foundation Establishment cultivator Chen Qing sighed helplessly and said,
“Prices are rising everywhere. That’s why I’m trying to trade for materials to forge artifacts myself—at least it saves a bit.”
Though troublesome, it could save Spirit Stones.
As a rogue cultivator, every Spirit Stone mattered.
“Grandfather, we’re the ones dragging you down.”
Beside him, Chen Feng fell silent upon witnessing the scene. Though the family had a Foundation Establishment cultivator now, it seemed to have burdened his grandfather further.
Looking at his two descendants, Chen Wen and Chen Feng, a gratified smile appeared on Chen Qing’s face. He then waved his hand and said,
“For your grandfather to reach Foundation Establishment in this lifetime has already exhausted all my fortune. Moving further ahead—cultivation methods and resources—we can no longer sustain it.
So don’t feel guilty. You must strive forward. If our Chen Clan can produce one more Foundation Establishment cultivator, we might truly become a cultivation family.”
Chen Qing sighed. His own aptitude was poor. During Qi Refining, his Drawing Talismans skill could keep up, but after reaching Foundation Establishment, he was completely outpaced by his cultivation needs.
At this stage, as a Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator, there were only two paths to secure further resources: join a power and work for them—
Or venture deep into the Cloudmist Mountain Range to hunt demon beasts for cultivation materials.
But either path was fraught with danger. One might never return.
He had come to terms with it. Becoming a Foundation Establishment cultivator and protecting his clan for over a century was already extremely fortunate.
After striving for half his life, he could finally enjoy the rest.
“Grandfather, rest assured. I and Brother Feng will not let you down. One day, the Chen Clan will stand alongside the Zhou Family.”
With firm resolve, Chen Wen made his vow. Chen Feng nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Seeing this, Chen Qing nodded with a heartened smile.
“Good. Don’t let down the expectations of the clan.”
Now, with Foundation Establishment cultivator Chen Qing shielding them, and one hundred mu of Spirit Field supplying resources, the two already had a far better cultivation path than most rogue cultivators.
As for reaching Foundation Establishment—it all depended on fate.
...
“Next up is a Second-rank High-grade Violet-patterned Alchemy Furnace. As everyone knows, a good alchemy furnace is essential to any successful alchemist. Starting bid: 300 Mid-grade Spirit Stones. Minimum increment: 5 Mid-grade Spirit Stones.”
“Three hundred and ten Mid-grade Spirit Stones!”
“Three hundred and twenty!”
“Three hundred and twenty-five!”
As the alchemy furnace Lin Chang’an had his eyes on was brought out, he called out his bid of three hundred and thirty.
There were fewer bids for alchemy furnaces than for magical artifacts. After all, alchemists were rare.
Only certain clans or alchemists themselves would place bids.
In the end, Lin Chang’an secured the alchemy furnace for three hundred and fifty-five Mid-grade Spirit Stones.
A maid then brought the furnace to him, and Lin Chang’an paid the Spirit Stones.
“As expected of a Second-rank High-grade Alchemy Furnace—such an item wouldn’t be found easily on the market.”
Looking at the human-sized furnace before him, Lin Chang’an revealed a satisfied smile.
“To do a good job, one must first sharpen their tools.” Now, as a Low-grade Second-rank Alchemist, pairing with this furnace would greatly enhance his efficiency.
“However, this auction does reveal some trends.”
Lin Chang’an nodded quietly. Prices were rising—not just for a single category.
Whether magical artifacts or pills, even raw materials were becoming more expensive.
“The surge in cultivator numbers is one reason. More importantly, Tianxuan City’s territory is the smallest among the four major powers of Yue Kingdom.”
Lin Chang’an pondered. When Yue Kingdom was still ruled by three major sects, resources were abundant and cultivators were few.
With a stable situation, material prices hadn’t fluctuated much.
But in recent decades, Yue Kingdom had become volatile. Now with four competing powers, everything was different.
“Hopefully it remains stable for a few more decades. Otherwise, Tianxuan City could become the frontlines.”
Lin Chang’an shook his head. Fortunately, he was a Mid-grade Second-rank Talisman Master. Unless Tianxuan City fell, he wouldn’t be in danger.
More treasures appeared next, including demon cores, but many cultivators had begun to notice something.
“This time, not only have prices risen, but the number of high-level treasures has decreased.”
Recalling what Old Hu had said at Juxian Tower, Lin Chang’an silently nodded.
Indeed, with more cultivators and fewer demon beasts—or rather, deeper hunting becoming harder—
It signaled that the benefits brought by the appearance of this High-grade Spiritual Vein in Tianxuan City were gradually fading.
Stabilization would soon follow.
The reason he hadn’t felt this back at the Qingzhu Mountain Marketplace was mainly due to the lack of cultivators—only a handful of Foundation Establishment cultivators were present at the time.
Second-rank demon beasts were scarce, but so were those hunting them.
When he was planning his Foundation Establishment, it happened to coincide with the golden period brought on by the emergence of Tianxuan City’s spiritual vein, which drew out many demon beasts.
Only then did hunting demon beasts become somewhat easier.
"Ever since Tianxuan City appeared, all the major clans have reaped considerable benefits."
At the very least, that was what he had observed with the Zhou Family.
These well-established families clung together, each taking what they needed, and their strength had rapidly grown over these past few years.
"The same goes for me. If not for Tianxuan City, I wouldn’t have had such a good place to cultivate."
Lin Chang’an sighed inwardly. One could say the development of Tianxuan City in recent years had become tied closely to their vital interests.
Families like the Zhou Family were already completely bound to Tianxuan City.
"No wonder Fellow Daoist Song and Fellow Daoist Su held those trading meetings mostly for cultivation families before."
Just as Lin Chang’an sensed the shifting dynamics of Tianxuan City, the auction suddenly became lively.
"Next up for auction are twenty Foundation Establishment Pills. Each has a starting bid of 7,000 Low-grade Spirit Stones. Minimum increase per bid is 100 Spirit Stones. The bidding starts now!"
"I bid 7,500!"
"7,800!"
"8,000..."
With the appearance of the Foundation Establishment Pills, the atmosphere surged and caught Lin Chang’an’s attention, but he soon shook his head.
He had not expected the price to soar past 9,000.
However, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator without offspring, he watched this scene with a calm expression.
In another private room, as the Foundation Establishment Pills appeared, Chen Wen and Chen Feng both breathed heavily, their eyes reddened as they stared intently.
9,000! Nearly 10,000 Low-grade Spirit Stones!
Even Chen Qing's expression grew heavy as he muttered, "One Foundation Establishment Pill now actually costs 10,000 Low-grade Spirit Stones."
He was not like Lin Chang’an, who possessed a Second-rank craft.
Even as a Low-grade Second-rank Talisman Master, one could earn five or six Mid-grade Spirit Stones a month—enough to accumulate the cost of a Foundation Establishment Pill in just over a year.
He was merely an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, still using High-grade Magical Artifacts from his Qi Refining days, which already showed the stratification among Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Ordinary rogue cultivators with offspring also revealed ugly expressions.
The rising prices had little effect on cultivators like Lin Chang’an who had craft skills—in fact, it sometimes brought unexpected gains.
But for bottom-tier Foundation Establishment cultivators, the impact was immense.
...
"Next for auction is a broken sword technique. As everyone knows, sword cultivators are powerful. This sword technique came from a Golden Core cultivator who lived three hundred years ago, during the same period as Master Lu.
With this technique, he rampaged through Yue Kingdom, and eventually became a Golden Core cultivator. He disappeared after heading to the Sea Abyss of Beasts."
As more and more treasures were presented, when it came to this broken sword technique, many Foundation Establishment cultivators were initially curious, but then began shaking their heads after hearing the details.
"The only Golden Core sword cultivator from three hundred years ago who lived in the same era as Master Lu was the Bloodfiend Sword True Lord."
"I heard this senior was originally a cultivator from the Palace of Blazing Fire, but later betrayed and fled. He was even called the Blood Demon."
"This sword technique is powerful indeed, but the cultivation requirements are extremely harsh. It's a demonic cultivation method—harmful to both the user and others."
"This sword cultivator once possessed a spiritual body and naturally strong meridians, yet still suffered from the sword technique’s backlash. He spent his life trying to find a solution..."
Hearing the cultivators' discussions, Lin Chang’an suddenly understood. For cultivators—especially those in Foundation Establishment—three hundred years wasn’t very far.
Let alone someone from the same era as Master Lu.
It was well known that demonic cultivation methods were famous for fast progress and tremendous power, but the cost was equally immense.
On the auction platform, Han Lin’er beamed as she looked around. She wasn’t affected by the atmosphere, and instead cheerfully announced the starting price.
"Fellow Daoists, this broken sword technique, though lacking the main core manual, includes a spell divine ability and can be cultivated to the Golden Core Realm. Its value is immeasurable. Starting bid: 700 Mid-grade Spirit Stones."
"I bid 700 Mid-grade Spirit Stones!"
"Seven hundred and thirty!"
"Seven hundred and eighty..."
"Eight hundred and twenty Mid-grade Spirit Stones!"
Well then. Seeing this, Lin Chang’an was stunned. Weren’t they all just saying the drawbacks were severe?
Why were they suddenly bidding like they’d found treasure? This price had already surpassed that of ordinary Spirit Artifacts.
Moments ago, everyone said it was useless, but now during the auction, they were more eager than anyone.
"Didn’t they all say the drawbacks were immense? Are you all crazy?"
"Nonsense. If it were a complete version, would it even come to us rogue cultivators?"
"Exactly. Even if it’s incomplete, just comprehending a portion is worth this price."
"Fellow Daoist, you’re right. Though it’s broken, it’s still valuable for research."
Well then.
A bunch of crafty old foxes, all of them.
Lin Chang’an was speechless. The longer one lived, the more cunning one became.
At this point, as the bidding continued, Lin Chang’an opened the item catalog handed to him by the maid when he entered the Foundation Establishment private room.
It contained a record of all the items in this auction and brief introductions.
"I was originally eyeing the two spell divine abilities later in the list, but it turns out this broken sword technique actually includes one of them."
Looking closely, Lin Chang’an began calculating silently.
This broken sword technique included a spell divine ability called 'Great Sword Art', which overlapped with one of the later spell divine abilities.
"Sword cultivators… demonic cultivation methods often come at great cost. I wonder if my Regenerative Body can withstand it."
In the next moment, Lin Chang’an decisively began bidding.
Although he didn’t fully grasp how valuable this predecessor from three hundred years ago was, he knew one thing:
So many seasoned Foundation Establishment cultivators were coveting it—there had to be a reason.
It didn’t matter if he didn’t understand. As long as someone did, all he needed was to bid just one price higher.
Besides, he possessed the Regenerative Body. As long as it didn’t consume lifespan, he could endure it.
"Just one price higher. What I lack now are means to boost my combat strength—not Spirit Stones."
Lin Chang’an thought silently. The price had already reached a high of 900 Mid-grade Spirit Stones.
Indeed, demonic methods that promised quick success were always the most tempting.
Especially for cultivators who had reached bottlenecks and urgently needed breakthroughs.
One could use stones from another mountain to polish jade.
As for a bit of cost—where in the cultivation world did one gain without effort?
Any rogue cultivator who had made it this far wasn’t afraid of risking their life.
What they feared was not even having the chance.
"Nine hundred and thirty Mid-grade Spirit Stones!"
"One thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones!"
When the price soared to 1,000 Mid-grade Spirit Stones, the once rowdy atmosphere cooled down.
At this price, one could buy two standard Spirit Artifacts—one for offense, one for defense.
In the end, two Foundation Establishment cultivators gritted their teeth and made symbolic bids to test whether this would be the lowest final price.
But Lin Chang’an didn’t hesitate to bid again, outpricing them by just one more notch.
"One thousand and fifty Spirit Stones!"
With Lin Chang’an showing an attitude of being determined to win even if it meant another one or two hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones—
Those two Foundation Establishment cultivators sighed in frustration.
At that price, it wasn’t worth competing. Better to save their stones. After all, this was only the first auction—there were better items to come.
"One thousand and fifty Mid-grade Spirit Stones—any higher offers? Once… twice… three times! Sold to this fellow Daoist."
As Han Lin’er happily called out the winning price, many veteran Foundation Establishment cultivators shook their heads.
Perhaps many were pinning their hopes on the next two auctions.
Some ordinary Foundation Establishment rogue cultivators were amazed, while others looked disheartened.
For example, Chen Qing appeared somewhat dazed, a bitter smile surfacing on his face.
"Wen’er, Feng’er, I brought you here today to open your eyes, and to let you understand the disparities among Foundation Establishment cultivators."
While he still agonized over how to gather 10,000 Low-grade Spirit Stones, these old and well-established Foundation Establishment rogue cultivators were already throwing around thousands of Mid-grade Spirit Stones.