Bao Gu focused intently, her eyes glued to the auctioneer standing on the stage, eager to see the treasures that could be auctioned off in the cultivation world’s auction house. However, she also knew that the auctioneer wouldn’t reveal what treasures would be coming up next, skillfully whetting everyone’s appetite before announcing the start of the auction, much like the auctions in the mortal world.
Soon, a rectangular box about a foot long and half a foot wide was brought up to the auction stage. The box was a bright red color, as translucent as jade, yet it seemed as if burning magma was flowing inside.
Yu Mi let out a “huh” and said, “It’s of the fire attribute.” Being a cultivator with a fire attribute spiritual root, she had come with the intention of just watching the fun without buying anything. However, seeing a treasure of the fire attribute still piqued her interest, making her curious about what it could be. After all, items that made it to this auction were not even of the caliber that ordinary Nascent Soul realm treasures could match.
As the jade box was opened, a strand of firelight rose from the box, within which a bean-sized blue flame darted about above the box as if trying to escape, leaving behind a long trail of flame.
A buzz of astonishment swept through the first floor.
Yu Mi also stood up abruptly, exclaiming, “A fire seed!”
Bao Gu turned to look at Yu Mi and asked, “What’s a fire seed?” Just as she finished her question, the auctioneer began to introduce the item: “This is a fire seed, a fire essence that has birthed its own consciousness…”
Hearing the words “fire essence,” she was taken aback. She remembered when Yu Mi brought back a “water essence” for their junior uncle, which even led to Zhu Tou, a senior brother from Shui Yun Ze, shamelessly snatching it away.
Hearing that the “water essence” was taken by Zhu Tou, their junior uncle had almost fought him to the death upon emerging from the water pond. Wouldn’t this fire essence with its own consciousness be even better? As these thoughts flashed through her mind, she heard the auctioneer say that this was a divine item for fire attribute cultivators at the Nascent Soul and Spirit Soul stages to refine their weapons.
If this fire essence was added during the weapon refinement process, the resulting weapon could directly birth a weapon spirit, and might even elevate the weapon to the level of a spiritual weapon. The starting bid was five hundred top-grade spirit stones.
A hint of suspicion flashed through Bao Gu’s eyes: How could this be cheaper than her monkey wine!
The starting bid of five hundred top-grade spirit stones left the bidders on the first floor speechless!
Bidding began in the private rooms on the second floor.
Naturally, Bao Gu couldn’t see who in the private rooms on the second floor were participating in the bidding, but she could tell that people from three rooms were bidding, with the price jumping from five hundred directly to eight hundred, then to one thousand two hundred top-grade spirit stones, and later to two thousand top-grade spirit stones! She saw Yu Mi staring at the fire seed, her lips tightly pursed, her eyes fierce, almost biting through her lips! She must really want it, yet the price was causing her pain! Hesitating for a moment, Bao Gu picked up her Bagua mirror to join the bidding.
“Two thousand top-grade spirit stones for the first time…”
“Two thousand top-grade spirit stones for the second time…”
Bao Gu raised her Bagua mirror and bid: Three thousand.
A gasp of astonishment erupted from the first floor, with many turning to look in the direction of Bao Gu’s private room on the second floor.
Yu Mi stared at Bao Gu, frozen in place as if petrified. A voice in her head exclaimed, “This spendthrift…”
Bao Gu put down her Bagua mirror, guiltily shrinking her neck, and asked, “Sister, did I buy it for too much?”
Yu Mi squeezed out two words through clenched teeth: “Not expensive!” Three thousand top-grade spirit stones! That’s enough to buy a top-grade spiritual weapon!
“Three thousand top-grade spirit stones for the first time!”
“Three thousand top-grade spirit stones for the second time!”
“Three thousand top-grade spirit stones for the third time! Sold!”
No one outbid Bao Gu!
Seeing her sister’s face flush with color, Bao Gu wasn’t sure if it was from anger or excitement. She smiled and said, “Sister, what’s meant to be will be. If we can afford it, we should buy it. Spirit stones can be earned again, but if we let the fire seed slip away, we’ll regret it when we want to buy it later and can’t find it anywhere.”
Yu Mi glared fiercely at Bao Gu and asked, “Are you planning to spend all the money from selling the wine on this?”
After thinking for a moment, Bao Gu softly said, “You could help little aunt find a water essence, so I wanted to bid for a fire seed for you.”
There was a knock on the door. She got up to open it and saw the auction house staff standing respectfully at the door with the fire seed she had just won.
Bao Gu said, “Go call your manager!” After sitting back down, she asked Yu Mi for a hundred top-grade spirit stones.
Soon, the auction house manager, accompanied by the staff holding the fire seed, arrived in Bao Gu’s room. Seeing Bao Gu, who was only at the third level of Qi Refinement, and Yu Mi, who had just broken through to the Golden Core stage, the manager was genuinely surprised! Such a large sum would normally be expected from a Nascent Soul stage ancestor at the very least! Even direct descendants of a cultivation family wouldn’t be able to produce such a large number of spirit stones. Smiling, the manager asked, “May I know what instructions the young friend has for this old man?”
Bao Gu handed over the contract for selling the monkey wine to the manager, saying, “This is worth at least two thousand four hundred top-grade spirit stones. I’ll temporarily count it as this amount. After selling the wine, deduct it from this.” She then took out six hundred top-grade spirit stones and piled them on the tea table.
The six hundred top-grade spirit stones piled up on the tea table, spilling onto the floor, and the auction house staff hurriedly stepped forward to catch them.
After confirming the authenticity of Bao Gu’s contract, the manager said with a smile, “We’ll do as the young friend wishes.” He had the spirit stones on the tea table collected and personally handed the fire seed to Bao Gu.
As Bao Gu reached out to take the fire seed, she felt a scorching heat before even touching the jade box containing the fire seed and quickly withdrew her hand.
Yu Mi took the jade box, confirmed it was correct, and stored it in her storage jade bracelet.
The auction house manager took another look at Yu Mi and Bao Gu, then smiled and said, “If the two ladies have no further instructions, this old man will take his leave.”
Bao Gu said, “Please do.” After the auction house manager and staff left, she sat back down. Feeling Yu Mi’s gaze, she turned to look at her and asked, “Sister, why are you looking at me like that?”
Yu Mi sighed, “You really don’t treat spirit stones like spirit stones!” Spending so many top-grade spirit stones made her heart bleed, but the fire seed in her storage jade bracelet excited her immensely. No matter how good the spiritual weapons bought were, they couldn’t compare to a weapon personally refined to fit oneself.
If she could integrate the fire seed into her Lihuo Sword and re-refine it, she would be one step closer to refining her own life-bound Spirit Soul weapon. With the fire seed, there was a great possibility of refining a spiritual weapon that merged with her own essence blood and life force. If she could refine it into her life-bound spiritual weapon, it would be no worse than any top-grade spiritual weapon bought.
She had been moved by the fire seed from the moment she saw it, but the price was beyond her reach. She never expected Bao Gu to spend such a large sum to buy it for her! Knowing how many cultivators would turn against their own sect members or dao companions for a bit of profit, Bao Gu’s expenditure of such a large number of top-grade spirit stones, an astronomical sum that not even the now-declining Xuan Tian Sect, let alone a medium-sized cultivation sect, might not have in their treasury, was incredibly generous.
Bao Gu softly said, “No matter how precious top-grade spirit stones are, their purpose is only to absorb spiritual energy and be used as currency. This fire seed can help you refine a Spirit Soul weapon, bringing you closer to cultivation. Trading spirit stones for the fire seed, I think it’s worth it.”
She knew Yu Mi was pained by the loss of the top-grade spirit stones. Having only recently entered the cultivation world and just started dealing with spirit stones, the ease with which she had acquired these top-grade spirit stones meant she didn’t feel their loss as keenly. She was a bit pained, but compared to her sister’s kindness towards her, it was nothing! Besides, she was using spirit stones to exchange for something needed, not wasting them.
After the initial excitement of auctioning off the fire seed, two rare high-grade spiritual herbs were auctioned off. One started at two hundred medium-grade spirit stones and sold for five hundred. The other started at two hundred and seventy-five medium-grade spirit stones and sold for four hundred and seventy.
Next was a “Ninth Grade Resurrection Grass,” the main ingredient for refining the “Nine Turns Rejuvenation Pill.” The starting bid was five hundred high-grade spirit stones. Initially, the bidding took place on the first floor, rising from five hundred to five hundred and fifty, then to six hundred, seven hundred, and finally, people in the private rooms on the second floor joined in. After reaching one thousand high-grade spirit stones, the bidding switched to top-grade spirit stones.
Bao Gu asked, “Sister, what is the Nine Turns Rejuvenation Pill used for?”
Yu Mi explained, “Even those who enter the Nascent Soul stage have a lifespan. If they approach the end of their lifespan without breaking through, they ultimately cannot escape death. The Nine Turns Rejuvenation Pill can extend one’s lifespan by two hundred years. Those vying for this pill are likely Nascent Soul stage ancestors nearing the end of their lifespan. For those ancestors, living an extra ten years would drive them mad, let alone two hundred years! If they can break through to the Spirit Transformation stage within those two hundred years…”
Bao Gu asked, “What happens if they break through to the Spirit Transformation stage?”
Yu Mi said, “Looking at the current cultivation world, many sects have numerous Nascent Soul stage ancestor-level powerhouses. Late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators are already incredibly powerful, but Spirit Transformation stage cultivators are like gods. The ancestor of Xuan Tian Sect was at the Spirit Transformation stage, marking the most glorious era of Xuan Tian Sect, one of the top ten immortal sects in the cultivation world!”
Bao Gu asked, “So, what do you think the Ninth Grade Resurrection Grass will sell for?”
Yu Mi said, “If it were the Nine Turns Rejuvenation Pill, it could potentially fetch an astronomical price. But as a nearly extinct main ingredient, the price won’t be too outrageous.” She smiled lightly and said, “Just wait and see how they fight over the monkey wine later!”
The Ninth Grade Resurrection Grass eventually sold for forty-five top-grade spirit stones.
Next, a bow was brought onto the auction stage. It was a low-grade spiritual weapon that also went to a private room on the second floor, selling for one hundred and thirty top-grade spirit stones.
Several top-grade magical treasures followed, all selling for a few hundred medium-grade spirit stones.
Bao Gu watched as these top-grade magical treasures and spiritual weapons, each seeming like divine artifacts, were auctioned off so cheaply. Only then did she realize how expensive the three thousand top-grade spirit stones were!
Because of the three thousand top-grade spirit stones spent on the fire seed, the items auctioned off afterwards seemed lackluster until a head-sized object, resembling both gold and jade, was brought out, instantly changing the atmosphere in the room.
Yu Mi also exclaimed in a low voice, “Great Luo Gold Essence!”
Bao Gu asked, “What’s Great Luo Gold Essence?”
Yu Mi looked at Bao Gu in surprise and asked, “Haven’t you read that jade slip I gave you that records various minerals?”
Bao Gu replied, “I haven’t finished reading it.”
Yu Mi explained, “This is the main material for refining divine weapons and treasures. It’s extremely hard, and adding a thumb-sized piece during the refining process can elevate the weapon’s grade by one level. Such a large piece of Great Luo Gold Essence is enough to forge a divine weapon with Great Luo Gold Essence as the main material. It’s extremely rare to see such a large piece of Great Luo Gold Essence. Normally, such treasures wouldn’t be auctioned for spirit stones but exchanged for other items. It’s very rare for it to be auctioned for spirit stones this time, and many powerful forces are likely to participate.”
The Great Luo Gold Essence started at six hundred top-grade spirit stones, with the price soaring to one thousand eight hundred top-grade spirit stones before the hammer fell.
After the Great Luo Gold Essence was auctioned off, two pure white, translucent jade wine jugs were brought up.
Someone from the first floor shouted, “Who brought spiritual wine to the auction house to sell, haha!”
Bao Gu’s face darkened as she muttered, “I brought the spiritual wine to the auction house to sell, and it’s the most expensive starting bid, hmph!” She was curious about the monkey wine, which had a starting bid of one thousand two hundred top-grade spirit stones, wondering what was so magical about it to warrant such a high price.
The auctioneer said, “These two jugs of Supreme Monkey Wine will start bidding simultaneously, with the highest two bidders winning.”
Supreme Monkey Wine? Bao Gu saw the people on the first floor also murmuring and showing various expressions, seemingly puzzled.
“The wine is called Supreme Monkey Wine, aged for an unknown number of years. It is brewed from Heavenly Spirit Fruit, Earthly Spirit Fruit, Soul Spirit Fruit, Ninth Grade Resurrection Grass, and many other eighth and ninth grade divine herbs. The wine glows with a radiant mist and contains divinity, offering benefits such as extending lifespan, nourishing the soul, solidifying the spirit, and greatly aiding in breaking through to the Spirit Transformation stage. The starting bid is one thousand two hundred top-grade spirit stones.”
As the introduction mentioned that the wine was brewed from Heavenly Spirit Fruit, Earthly Spirit Fruit, Soul Spirit Fruit, and Ninth Grade Resurrection Grass, the room was already abuzz. Bao Gu nearly fell off her chair.
She turned to Yu Mi and exclaimed, “Sister, those old men who bid on the Ninth Grade Resurrection Grass are going to go crazy over this wine!” Heavenly Spirit Fruit, Earthly Spirit Fruit, and Soul Spirit Fruit were legendary ninth grade spiritual fruits said to be able to solidify the soul and strengthen the spirit. If the Nascent Soul or spirit was severely damaged, consuming any one of these fruits could reform the Nascent Soul and spirit!
Yu Mi chuckled and said to Bao Gu, “Otherwise, why do you think this wine is so expensive?”
Bao Gu blinked blankly and asked weakly, “Sister, what would happen if our sect found out we sold this wine?”
Yu Mi said, “If we could still offer a jug as a tribute, we’d have to be constantly on guard against being ambushed, robbed, and silenced. If we couldn’t offer any at all, we’d probably be jointly exterminated by the various peaks!”
Bao Gu swallowed hard, her face pale. She inwardly screamed, “Sister, and you still dare to sell it!” But then she thought, if they didn’t sell the wine, where would they get top-grade spirit stones, and where would they buy the fire seed? Her heart raced uncontrollably, both shocked by the value of the monkey wine and frightened by the consequences of their actions being exposed.
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