77: Auctions

"My lifespan has actually increased by three years..."

"Wait, no, my Aptitude has changed too. If I recall correctly, my Aptitude was always Mediocre before, but now it has become Ordinary."

"Could it be that cultivating the Barbaric Body Refining Art can also increase one's Aptitude?"

Zhang Qingxiao hadn't noticed the change in his Aptitude at first. It wasn't until he finished checking his lifespan and the status of his Barbaric Body Refining Art that he realized his Aptitude had shifted.

"It probably isn't just because of cultivating the Barbaric Body Refining Art; it likely also has something to do with my Cultivation Technique proficiency reaching the Great Grandmaster level."

"I wonder if my cultivation speed will be faster now..."

Thinking about how his cultivation speed might increase now that his Aptitude had improved, a flash of excitement crossed Zhang Qingxiao's eyes.

Over the next two days, every time Zhang Qingxiao practiced the Barbaric Body Refining Art, some black substance would be expelled from his body.

It wasn't until the third day of practicing the Barbaric Body Refining Art that no more black substance was expelled from his body.

After these two days of cultivation, Zhang Qingxiao confirmed that the improvement in his Aptitude had indeed increased his cultivation speed.

Originally, it took three days to increase his progress by one point, but now it only took two days to increase his cultivation progress by one point.

At his current rate, it would take at most half a year to reach the Lianqi 9th Layer.

After a delay of over a month, the Xiaoyao Sect's auction for the Foundation Establishment Pill was finally about to begin.

Zhang Qingxiao changed his appearance and arrived at the largest auction house in Xiaoyao City.

A grand auction would be held here today.

Not only would there be Foundation Establishment Pills, but various Magical Artifacts, spiritual items, special Talismans, and Medicinal Pills would also be auctioned today.

There were many Cultivators attending the auction. Besides Outer Sect Disciples and Utility Disciples, there were also Inner Sect Disciples, Core Disciples, and even Foundation Establishment Elders in attendance.

This was the reason why the auction had been delayed for so long.

To enter the auction, one didn't need to reveal their identity; as long as they could produce one hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, it was sufficient.

Every Cultivator wishing to enter the auction hall had to pay ten Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, which could be deducted if they purchased any items.

If no items were purchased, these ten Mid-Grade Spirit Stones would be treated as an entrance fee.

It was precisely for this reason that many Cultivators who wanted to cause trouble were deterred.

Zhang Qingxiao was attending this auction specifically for the Foundation Establishment Pill, so he naturally didn't care about the ten Mid-Grade Spirit Stone entrance fee.

When he arrived inside the auction hall, there were already several hundred Cultivators there.

"Fellow Daoist, do you require a private box?"

"You only need to pay an additional fifty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones to enter a private box."

Just as Zhang Qingxiao was thinking about finding a random seat in the main hall, a Cultivator's voice suddenly came from beside him.

"Fifty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones—isn't that a bit expensive?"

"An ordinary Cultivator might not even earn that many Mid-Grade Spirit Stones in a year."

If he could enter a private box, he would naturally be very happy to do so, as there were too many Cultivators in the main hall, and the crowd was mixed.

Who knew if any of these Cultivators had special means to leave a mark on him after he purchased the Foundation Establishment Pill and commit some illicit act?

It would be somewhat safer in a private box.

"Fellow Daoist, this is a rule set by the auction house, and I cannot change it."

"As long as you spend over one thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones in this auction, the fifty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones you paid can be deducted."

"I see that you are already at Cultivation Level 8, and your internal spiritual energy is robust. You must have come for the Foundation Establishment Pill."

"By then, the Mid-Grade Spirit Stones you spend will definitely exceed one thousand, which is equivalent to not paying any fees at all..."

The auction house Cultivator explained with a smile.

"Fine, then take me to a private box."

Zhang Qingxiao was determined to obtain the Foundation Establishment Pill, so he wasn't worried about the fifty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones going to waste.

He followed the auction house Cultivator to a private box on the second floor, handed over fifty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, and received a voucher.

As long as he spent over one thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, he could use this voucher to offset the fifty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

The private box wasn't very large, about seven or eight square meters at most.

It was well-equipped, with spiritual fruits and spiritual tea.

Outside, there were attendants and maids waiting at the ready; if he needed anything, he just had to call out, and they would come in immediately.

Compared to the treatment in the main hall, it was infinitely better.

Zhang Qingxiao was quite satisfied with this.

Sitting in the private box, drinking spiritual tea, eating spiritual fruits, and looking at the auction catalog, he felt very comfortable.

According to the auction catalog, a total of three Foundation Establishment Pills would be sold this time.

They would be auctioned at the beginning, middle, and end, respectively.

Besides that, there was a Flying Sword and a Talisman Treasure that caught his attention.

This Flying Sword was only five inches long, silvery-white throughout, and named the Tidal Sword. It was a surpassing ordinary Magical Artifact Flying Sword with quality approaching a Magic Treasure.

The Talisman Treasure was a Sword Talisman, and its power could reach one-third that of a Low Grade Magic Treasure Flying Sword.

A Qi Refining Stage Seventh Level Cultivator could activate it.

If he had this Talisman Treasure, even if he encountered an Early Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, he could instantly kill them by catching them off guard.

"I estimate that the prices for this Flying Sword and the Talisman Treasure won't be too low. I should see how things go first."

"This time, I mainly came for the Foundation Establishment Pill."

"Even if I can't purchase all three Foundation Establishment Pills, I must at least purchase two."

Zhang Qingxiao thought to himself.

He was carrying quite a lot of Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, a full seven thousand five hundred of them.

Business had been very good these past few months. Even with the increased costs of setting up in Xiaoyao City and having fewer Utility Disciples to cooperate with, he still had an income of two thousand five hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones a month.

Plus, he, Liang Qiaoer, and Zhou Yun would refine Medicinal Pills and create Talismans every day, which earned them some extra Spirit Stones to help with household expenses. It was no wonder he had been able to save up seven thousand five hundred Spirit Stones.

After waiting for about half an hour in the private box, the main hall and the private boxes were basically filled with Cultivators, and the auction officially began.

Zhang Qingxiao was not interested in the first nine items auctioned, so he did not place any bids.

However, he could feel the excited atmosphere of the Cultivators.

The transaction prices for these nine items basically exceeded their intrinsic value.

But when the auctioneer on the auction stage announced the tenth item, the atmosphere at the venue became even more intense.

Even Zhang Qingxiao's breathing became a bit rapid.

Because the tenth item was none other than the Foundation Establishment Pill.

There was no need to introduce the function of the Foundation Establishment Pill at all. The auctioneer didn't waste any time and directly stated the opening price: one thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

Before the auctioneer's voice had even faded, Cultivators in the main hall had already started bidding.

In just a moment, the price of the Foundation Establishment Pill had already exceeded one thousand two hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.