42: Alchemy flame, evil spirit fire

Walking out of the Medicine Cauldron Pavilion, the young attendant didn't even bother to see him off…

Tang Tian arrived on the street and stopped a Yunshui Pavilion attendant, asking:

"What's at the Auction House?"

The Yunshui Pavilion attendant said:

"You must be from the countryside, right? Who doesn't know Yunshui Pavilion? This Auction House is held once a year."

"Cultivation Techniques, Medicinal Pills, Formations, women—we have everything."

Tang Tian nodded, saying:

"So that's how it is."

Yunshui Pavilion was easy to find, and he arrived quickly.

However, there was an entrance fee of ten Spirit Stones. Seeing the endless stream of Cultivators entering, Yunshui Pavilion must be making a fortune…

Inside, it was antique and elegant, with scantily clad maids in light skirts and stockings, carrying Spirit Wine and Spirit Fruit.

These women's cultivation Realms were all at the Body Refining Ninth Layer.

The huge carved beams around them depicted four-clawed Golden Dragons, truly a grand display.

There were at least a thousand Cultivators inside, many dressed in black robes, but also some noble Young Masters with folding fans, passing by arrogantly.

There were also robust old men striding with the might of a Dragon and a tiger; these maids were prepared for such individuals.

Tang Tian found a corner, away from the crowd, and quietly waited for the Auction House to begin.

At midnight, a robust old man appeared, dressed in a fiery red long gown, his eyes sharp as he said:

"Thank you, Fellow Daoists, for coming to my Yunshui Pavilion. I am Yang Xian, a Foundation Establishment Second Layer Cultivator, qualified to preside over this Auction House. Alright, without further ado, I wish you all a long and prosperous cultivation journey. Let the first auction item begin."

Yang Xian clapped his hands, and two maids appeared, carrying a tray.

The first item was completely disregarded by those who had secured the private rooms; they watched lazily, enjoying massages from the maids.

Yang Xian said:

"The first item is the Green Sun Fruit Kernel, a Yellow Rank Second Grade Spirit Tree, a perpetual Spirit Tree of a Family that ensures its longevity. Once mature, it yields forty Spirit Fruits each year."

"The Green Sun Spirit Fruit has the effect of purifying one's Physique, breaking barriers, and clearing the mind. The starting bid is one thousand Spirit Stones."

As soon as he finished speaking, many Families below showed fervent expressions, and the continuous bidding grew higher and higher.

The first Spirit Seed auction sold for the sky-high price of three thousand Spirit Stones!

Tang Tian was shocked by this fervent scene; the first item alone sold for such a high price…

Most of the Cultivators below had already placed bids. After this first auction item, there were few remaining items that the people below could even hope to touch.

They could only make up the numbers. The more than five thousand Cultivators from the lower to the Medium Grade Spirit Pavilions and High Grade private rooms were the main force for what was to come.

However, with no less than twenty thousand Cultivators below, they also contributed a considerable sum of Spirit Stones…

Yang Xian snapped his fingers, and another auction item was brought up…

The cheers from below shook the heavens, and Tang Tian was almost falling asleep because none of the items were what he wanted.

Yang Xian said:

"Ladies and gentlemen, the next auction item is extraordinary. It is a Beast Fire, the Evil Qilin Spiritual Fire, a Profound Rank Ninth Layer Spirit Treasure."

As he displayed it, the flames of the Evil Qilin Spiritual Fire resembled scales, and countless scales truly appeared like the shadow of a Qilin.

It was contained within a special cage made of green vines, but its intense heat made the Cultivators in front retreat a few steps.

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room laughed. Wasn't it just the lowest grade Beast Fire?

A Profound Rank Ninth Grade Beast Fire was the lowest grade Beast Fire…

If it were just one rank higher, Alchemists would have already reserved it…

Yang Xian said:

"The starting bid for this Beast Fire is three thousand Spirit Stones!"

As his voice fell, a voice from a room above responded:

"Five thousand Spirit Stones."

Tang Tian's eyes also grew fervent. The Yin Sha Old Man's Pill Formula had been sitting there for so long, and he hadn't had a chance to refine it.

If he hadn't encountered a Beast Fire, then so be it, but since he had, it meant he could practice Alchemy in the future, so he was determined to get it.

Tang Tian didn't rush to bid, as the competition had just begun.

In a short while, the price reached ten thousand Spirit Stones. This was already the limit for most small Families. Any higher would be strenuous.

Of course, this was because the people in the Medium Grade Spirit Pavilions and High Grade private rooms above didn't care for these small items; otherwise, with their financial power,

they could have bought all fifty of the treasures auctioned at the beginning, leaving nothing for anyone else.

Someone in a Medium Grade private room said:

"I am a Personal Disciple of the Green Mountain Sect, and I am determined to acquire this Beast Fire. I ask Your Excellency to show mercy, and my Green Mountain Sect will surely offer a generous reward in the future."

The situation was already turning into a threat.

As soon as his voice fell, a voice came from another private room:

"Green Mountain Sect, my Yuanjia Gang is not afraid of you, and 'Personal Disciple'? If you can't even produce ten thousand Spirit Stones, yelling names like that will get you killed!"

The person, exposed, said furiously:

"You!"

Then he stopped speaking.

The Yuanjia Gang said:

"Fifteen thousand Spirit Stones!"

The Yuanjia Gang proudly raised the price to this amount.

Several other forces competing with them could not contend.

Tang Tian then spoke:

"Sixteen thousand Spirit Stones!"

Tang Tian's sudden voice silenced the entire hall, as it came from the twenty thousand Cultivators who had been watching the show.

The Yuanjia Gang said:

"Your Excellency, haven't you heard? Who doesn't know my Yuanjia Gang? Now, cut off one of your hands and get out, and my Yuanjia Gang will give you a quick death."

Yang Xian said:

"All who come are guests. Under my Foundation Establishment cultivation, who dares to be presumptuous? Sixteen thousand Spirit Stones, going once."

Yang Xian originally wanted to raise the Beast Fire's price. He slammed his hammer.

The surrounding Cultivators looked at Tang Tian with greedy expressions, all wanting to approach him, but Yang Xian's cultivation Realm vibrated, and everyone dared not move.

A vacuum zone appeared around Tang Tian.

The Yuanjia Gang members said fiercely:

"Sixteen thousand five hundred Spirit Stones."

They were already enraged.

The Yuanjia Gang said:

"Kid, once you leave this door, I'll feed you to the dogs. If you have a Family, I'll wipe out your entire Family."

"Yuanjia Gang, do you have a Foundation Establishment Cultivator?" Tang Tian said calmly.

The Yuanjia Gang said:

"My Yuanjia Gang Leader is a Lianqi Seventh Level Cultivator! That's enough to kill your whole Family!"

Tang Tian smiled and said, "Seventeen thousand Spirit Stones."

Another voice came from a previous private room:

"Good brother, after you buy it, I'll give you five thousand Spirit Stones for the Beast Fire, and I'll protect you for the rest of your life!"

Tang Tian directly ignored those freeloaders.

The Yuanjia Gang said:

"Seventeen thousand five hundred Spirit Stones."

Tang Tian said:

"Eighteen thousand Spirit Stones."

The Yuanjia Gang said:

"Alright, you're ruthless."

The Yuanjia Gang members couldn't afford the price. As Yang Xian brought down the gavel, several people had already surrounded Tang Tian.

Yang Xian said:

"Those who dare to cause trouble in my Auction House, get out!"

He repelled those few, even crippling their Meridians. No one in the entire hall dared to block Tang Tian's way.

Yang Xian had a maid lead Tang Tian to the back of the Auction House to pay.

Those Yuanjia Gang members followed to the back of the Auction House, making a throat-slitting gesture fiercely at Tang Tian…

Upon entering the Auction House, there was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator waiting inside.

The portly middle-aged shopkeeper, a Foundation Establishment Second Layer Cultivator, holding the Beast Fire, said:

"Fellow Daoist, the price for your Beast Fire is eighteen thousand Spirit Stones."

Tang Tian asked:

"Can I pay with spiritual items?"

The shopkeeper said:

"Of course, of course, Fellow Daoist, please present them."

Tang Tian first took out seven thousand eight hundred Spirit Stones.

The shopkeeper took them and said:

"Fellow Daoist, you still owe ten thousand Spirit Stones."

This portly middle-aged man was indeed generous, directly waiving two hundred Spirit Stones.

Tang Tian said:

"Mm."

Tang Tian nodded and took out thirty dead Spirit Fish. Even though the shopkeeper was well-traveled, he was surprised, but these could indeed be used for payment.

These Spirit Fish were cultivated from the ordinary fish he had bought previously.

The shopkeeper said:

"Yellow Rank Fifth Grade spiritual items."

The shopkeeper even took a bit to taste, saying:

"They are beneficial to Qi Refining Realm Cultivators, about one hundred Spirit Stones each. It's a pity they weren't pickled, otherwise the price would be higher."

His eyes even showed a hint of disdain, as if Tang Tian had given too little, otherwise he could have given him a better discount.

Indeed, Tang Tian had raised them for a month, and this was all he had.

Tang Tian then took out fifty Spirit Fruits. The shopkeeper was indeed well-traveled, as he wasn't surprised by this.

The shopkeeper said:

"Tsk, these are Yellow Grade Fifth Tier Spirit Fruits. They are very well preserved, one hundred fifty-one each."

In the end, this was already enough for the Beast Fire, and Tang Tian even earned five hundred Spirit Stones.

The shopkeeper said:

"Fellow Daoist, I've given you such a great discount. When you have good things in the future, please remember our Yunshui Pavilion."

Tang Tian nodded, saying:

"Certainly."

Tang Tian asked:

"By the way, do you buy these?"

He took out the Storage Ring Yu Ping had given him, and also the Storage Ring of the eldest son of the Liu Family…