98: Chapter 98 Third-Order Spirit Wood

"Foundation Establishment Mid-stage... as an auctioneer?"

Ye Changge, behind the glass window, felt a flash of surprise in his eyes.

In his impression, auctions of the scale of White Bird Market were usually hosted by someone at the Late Stage of Qi Refining.

And here, it was actually led by a female Foundation Establishment Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Mid-stage.

The crowd control and credibility brought by her cultivation Aura were naturally incomparable to the former.

"As expected of a large-scale auction jointly held by several major commercial firms; its foundation and boldness are truly different."

Ye Changge sighed inwardly, feeling a bit more anticipation for the potential auction items to come.

Being able to invite such a person to host, the standard of this auction was likely far beyond his previous estimations.

The woman in red walked to the center of the auction stage, her gaze sweeping across the entire venue like autumn water.

She did not deliberately raise her voice, yet her clear and gentle tone reached every corner clearly:

"Welcome, Fellow Daoists, to this auction, attending this large-scale auction jointly hosted by the Heaven Treasure Pavilion, Ten Thousand Laws Tower, and Spirit Plant Pavilion. I have the honor of hosting this auction."

She smiled slightly, a bright smile that instantly diluted the sense of aloofness inherent to a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, making people feel as if they were bathed in a spring breeze.

"I believe you, Fellow Daoists, are already aware of the rules of the auction. The highest bidder wins, Spirit Stones are the standard, and malicious bidding or disrupting order is strictly prohibited. If using items for payment, it must be jointly verified by the three treasure appraisers of this venue. I hope all Fellow Daoists will abide by the rules, enjoy the bidding, and all gain something."

The woman in red was concise and to the point, her demeanor calm and generous.

She both pointed out the strength of the organizers behind the scenes and clearly explained the rules.

"Alright, no more idle chatter."

She clapped her jade hands lightly, and two maids in uniform costumes walked onto the stage respectfully, carrying a jade tray covered with red silk.

"Now, please present the first auction item of the day."

Liu Hanyan lightly raised her slender hand and lifted the red silk.

A streak of deep blue light instantly illuminated the area a few meters in front of the stage.

On the tray lay a delicately crafted, metallic-lustered repeating crossbow.

The crossbow body was about three feet long with smooth lines, engraved with dense formation patterns, and spiritual light faintly flowed in the crossbow groove.

"This is the 'Green Wind Repeating Spirit Crossbow', a Low Grade Spiritual Artifact."

Liu Hanyan's voice rang out at the right time, carrying an appropriately informative tone,

"After being specially processed by an Artifact Refining Great Master, it has a built-in miniature Spirit Gathering Formation. Only a Late Stage of Qi Refining Cultivator is needed to inject spiritual power to drive it. It can hold up to nine specially made crossbow bolts at once. When fired in succession, its power is enough to threaten a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. For a Junior who has just entered the Immortal Realm and needs self-protection, it is indeed an excellent choice."

She paused and announced the price: "The starting bid is three thousand Spirit Stones. Each bid increment must not be less than one hundred Spirit Stones."

As soon as she finished speaking, several gazes in the audience lit up.

Ye Changge nodded slightly in the private room.

This item was indeed quite good.

He had many descendants in his Family, although most were still young.

Although the Family could provide shelter, the Cultivation World was treacherous, and there were always times when he couldn't look after them.

If they could have such a protective Spiritual Artifact by their side, their safety would naturally increase greatly.

Moreover, this crossbow had been specially treated and could be used at the Qi Refining Stage, making it perfect for the current Ye Family Juniors.

"Three thousand one hundred Spirit Stones!"

"Three thousand three hundred!"

The bidding voices rang out quickly, mostly from Foundation Establishment Cultivators who had brought Juniors to the auction, or representatives of small families.

The price climbed steadily, quickly breaking through four thousand.

Ye Changge was not in a hurry. When the price reached four thousand eight hundred Spirit Stones and the speed of bidding clearly slowed down, he spoke indifferently:

"Five thousand Spirit Stones."

The clear voice came from the second-floor private room, instantly causing the audience below to quiet down for a moment.

Increasing the bid by two hundred Spirit Stones at once, while not a lavish splurge, showed a determination to win.

Liu Hanyan looked up toward the private room where Ye Changge was and smiled slightly:

"The Fellow Daoist in private room A-7 bids five thousand Spirit Stones. Are there any other bidders?"

The audience was silent for a moment, and eventually, no one raised their sign again.

For one thing, this price was already close to the upper limit for this type of Spiritual Artifact.

For another, those who could sit in the second-floor private rooms mostly had extraordinary identities, and there was no need to easily offend them for a Low Grade Spiritual Artifact.

"Five thousand Spirit Stones, going once."

"Five thousand Spirit Stones, going twice."

"Five thousand Spirit Stones, going three times—sold!"

Liu Hanyan tapped the auction gavel lightly, her smile bright:

"Congratulations to the Fellow Daoist in private room A-7 for winning the 'Green Wind Repeating Spirit Crossbow'!"

Ye Changge exhaled lightly.

Five thousand Spirit Stones was not expensive, but it wasn't cheap either.

However, for the safety of his descendants, this expense was worth it.

Soon, a maid delivered the spirit crossbow to the private room. After Ye Changge verified it was correct, he readily paid the Spirit Stones.

The next few auction items were mostly second-tier Medicinal Pills.

"Condensing Essence Pill, can assist Early-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators in refining spiritual power, three pills per bottle, starting bid two thousand Spirit Stones..."

"Soul Nourishing Pill, nourishes Divine Sense, greatly beneficial to Fellow Daoists who practice Divine Soul Cultivation Techniques..."

Ye Changge sat in the comfortable chair, listening to Liu Hanyan's clear introductory voice, but couldn't muster much interest.

He either already had reserves of these Medicinal Pills or they offered limited help to his current cultivation.

He already possessed the Yin Yang Creation Art, an Immortal Realm Cultivation Technique, and the effect of Dual Cultivation with Lu Shiyin was far better than ordinary Medicinal Pills.

Time passed slowly during the auction. Item after item was presented and sold one by one.

Ye Changge half-closed his eyes, even feeling a bit drowsy. Until—

"The next auction item is a bit special."

Liu Hanyan's voice carried a hint of solemnity as two maids worked together to lift a half-person-high jade box.

The moment the jade box opened, a fresh and rich wood-attributed Spiritual Qi permeated the air, making all the Cultivators present feel refreshed.

In the box lay a piece of wood about two feet long, jade-green all over, with grain like clouds and fog. The surface of the wood naturally had dense silver lines, with light faintly flowing.

"Third-tier Spiritual Materials—'Cloud Pattern Jade Spirit Wood'." Liu Hanyan said clearly,

"This wood grows in deep mountain veins rich in Spiritual Qi, growing only one inch every hundred years. This piece is taken from the main trunk of a Jade Spirit Wood that has grown for nearly eight hundred years. It is rich in Spiritual Qi and the wood is tough. It is an excellent material for refining wood-attributed Magic Treasures and can also serve as a carrier for high-tier Talismans."

She paused and added: "Starting bid, five thousand Spirit Stones."

A murmur arose from the audience.

Third-tier Spiritual Materials could already be used to refine Magic Treasures, which was quite attractive to Foundation Establishment Cultivators. However, this wood had a single attribute and limited applicability, so there wouldn't be many bidders.

Ye Changge, however, sat up straight, his gaze falling on that piece of Jade Spirit Wood.

The remnant of the Longevity Nurturing Spirit Art mentioned that the spiritual plant needed to refine a "Lifebound Spirit Seed" must be at least a third-tier spiritual plant.

A third-tier Spiritual Wood, with an age far exceeding the requirements, and a gentle and inclusive wood attribute, perhaps it was just right to try.