105: Baxia Broken Armor

Over the next few days, Gao De meditated and cultivated in his inn's Immortal Cave at night, while venturing out during the day to wander and purchase Spiritual Plants and Materials he needed.

His Formation Master and Talisman skills had reached the third tier, but his Alchemy and Artifact Refining skills were still lacking, mainly due to a shortage of various Spiritual Plants and mineral Materials.

However, after arriving at Sanchuan Workshop, the variety of cultivation resources was quite rich, and he felt reasonably confident he could further improve his Alchemy.

During this time, Gao De ambitiously roamed the various stalls of Loose Cultivators, hoping to rely on his own discerning eye and the identification techniques from the Dragon Clan Legacy to pick up a bargain.

Alas, he did not know if it was because his Opportunity had not yet arrived, or if those Loose Cultivators were simply too shrewd. Apart from using fake goods to swindle, they held onto items they were unsure about with a tight grip, daring to quote outrageous, sky-high prices.

After a few attempts, having confirmed that they were all either flashy but useless or overpriced items, he extinguished the thought of finding a bargain and focused on preparing for the auction.

The Day of the Auction.

At the break of dawn, Sanchuan Workshop became unprecedentedly lively.

In the sky, streaks of light cut through the morning glow. Cultivators riding rare Spirit Beasts or driving magnificent flying chariots poured into the market in an endless stream.

Among these Cultivators, those at the Qi Refinement Stage were extremely rare; most were Foundation Establishment Cultivators. The Auras of Core Formation Cultivators were also undisguised, and occasionally, one could even sense a few obscure, deep, and heart-palpitating Spiritual Pressures, clearly indicating that Fourth-Tier powerhouses were also hidden among them.

Clang!

Accompanying a clear and melodious bell toll, the auction was declared to be starting.

The lights in the inn's Immortal Cave where Gao De stayed flashed, and he walked out slowly.

By now, he had already donned that Shadow Hat capable of blurring his figure and Aura. The black veil hanging down on all four sides concealed his face completely, and combined with his tall and robust Half-Jiaoren physique, he exuded an Aura of mystery that kept strangers at bay, carrying quite the demeanor of a bandit Cultivator.

However, looking around, Cultivators dressed similarly to him or hiding their identities through other means were everywhere. In this place where dragons and snakes mingled, he did not appear out of place.

He followed the flow of people toward the grand and imposing auction house of the Nine Dragons Chamber of Commerce, which had already been set up on the outskirts of the market.

After having his VIP token verified, he was respectfully guided to a corresponding private room on the third floor.

The furnishings inside the room were very simple: a table and a chair, with brewed spiritual tea and a few exquisite spiritual fruits placed on the table.

The four walls shimmered with spiritual light, clearly protected by powerful Restrictions to ensure absolute privacy.

Gao De sat down on the chair, closed his eyes to rest, and waited calmly for the auction to officially open.

Time passed quietly in the silence.

It was unknown how much time had passed when, suddenly—

"Clang!"

A clear sound like a phoenix cry from a jade chime spread throughout the entire auction house, instantly suppressing all the noise.

On the brightly lit high platform in the center of the venue, space rippled slightly, and an old man wearing a black brocade robe, with a refined face and gentle yet naturally dignified eyes, appeared out of thin air.

His Aura was as deep as the sea; he was clearly a Core Formation Cultivator at the Perfection stage!

The old man wore a warm smile, his gaze sweeping across the floor and the surrounding private rooms. His voice, peaceful yet clear, reached every corner: "I am Su Xinghe, and I have the honor of being the chief auctioneer for this auction held by the Nine Dragons Chamber of Commerce. Welcome, Fellow Daoists and Seniors! Without further ado, I declare the auction officially open! I hope you all gain something!"

"Next, we have the first item of this auction, meant to kick things off with a good start!"

Su Xinghe flicked his sleeve, and a sharp, peerless golden light suddenly lit up. Accompanied by a clear sword hum, an ancient-looking precious sword, about four feet long, flowing with Geng Metal energy and faintly swirling with dragon patterns, hovered in the air. Its sharpness seemed capable of cutting through space, causing many Cultivators present, especially Sword Cultivators, to have their gazes instantly turn fervent.

"A third-tier High Grade Magic Treasure—'Dragon Pattern Geng Metal Sword'!" Su Xinghe said in a resonant voice, introducing it in detail, "This sword was crafted by our chamber's Artifact Refiner Great Master who collected Western Tai Bai refined gold, fused it with a strand of Geng Metal Origin, and quenched it in earth fire for forty-nine days. On the day the sword was completed, it was accompanied by the sound of a dragon's roar! Not only is it peerlessly sharp, but it also possesses the ability to break evil and suppress baleful spirits, making it extremely effective against demons, ghosts, and certain insidious Cultivation Techniques! The starting price—two hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones! Each bid increment must not be less than five thousand!"

As soon as his voice fell, bidding shouts surged like a tide from all corners of the venue, instantly igniting the atmosphere.

Gao De watched the heated bidding below calmly through the light screen of the private room. He knew that this feast, which had gathered powerful figures from all sides, had only just begun.

And he, too, was prepared.

As the old man's voice fell, bidding shouts rose one after another.

"210,000!"

"220,000!"

"250,000!"

Inside the private room, Gao De watched the bidding through the light screen in front of him, his expression calm.

This Geng Metal Sword was indeed of good quality, but he already had his life-bound artifact, the "thunder fang formation-breaking halberd." Both in terms of potential and compatibility, it was far superior to this sword, so naturally, he would not participate in the competition.

In the end, this opening precious sword was bought for 380,000 Spirit Stones by a Human Race Sword Cultivator with a sharp Aura on the second floor.

The auction proceeded methodically. The subsequent items were varied: third-tier Medicinal Pills, rare Artifact Refining Materials, Talismans with peculiar effects, and even a few Cultivation Techniques and secret arts that could be cultivated to the Golden Core Stage.

The scene maintained a heated atmosphere, with bidding shouts ringing out endlessly.

Gao De waited patiently. During this time, he made one move, bidding 30,000 Spirit Stones to win a five-hundred-year-old "Thunder-Struck Wood Heart." This item contained pure Power of Thunder, which was slightly helpful for him to temper his thunder aura and Cultivate his thunder-attribute Divine Ability. The price was also within a reasonable range.

Time passed, and the auction gradually entered its Middle Stage. The items that appeared became increasingly precious, and the competition became more intense.

When a "Crystal Condensation Pill," which could assist a Core Formation Cultivator at the Early Stage to break through the Bottleneck of the Middle Stage, was sold for a sky-high price of nearly 500,000, the atmosphere of the venue was pushed to a small climax.

The auction continued, with one treasure after another appearing, drawing competition from all sides, and the atmosphere in the venue remained heated.

When another third-tier High Grade flying Magic Treasure was sold for a high price, the old auctioneer revealed a mysterious smile on his face, signaling his assistant to present the next item.

The auctioneer cleared his throat, his smile deepening: "The next item is quite special. For those Fellow Daoists who Cultivate earth-attribute techniques or possess the Dragon Clan Bloodline, it is a rare treasure."

This time, after the red silk covering it was unveiled, the item revealed caused a murmur of surprise and confusion to ripple through the venue.

It was a massive carapace, the size of a millstone, with a dark yellow, almost brown color and a heavy, mountain-like texture. There were some irregular defects and fine cracks along its edges; clearly, it was not intact.

Tightly connected to the carapace was a similarly broken piece of an ancient stone tablet, its inscriptions almost smoothed away by time.

A dense, desolate Aura, carrying a faint dragon might and earth-attribute spiritual charm, radiated from it. However, upon closer inspection, the dragon might appeared somewhat impure, and the earth-attribute spiritual light was not flawless.

"Fellow Daoists, this next item has an extraordinary Origin." The auctioneer's voice was resonant, carrying a hint of flair, "This is the remains of a Fourth-Tier Demon King that possessed the Baxia Bloodline. It is its core carapace and symbiotic ancient tablet!"

"You should all know that Baxia is a dragon son, possessing infinite strength, especially adept at carrying tablets and suppressing luck. Its carapace is the essence of its body, indestructible, and it contains its Bloodline Divine Ability and the secrets of earth-attribute Laws!"

He changed the subject, his tone becoming more objective: "However, it must be stated to everyone that the edges of this carapace are damaged, and the dragon blood essence within has dissipated somewhat due to the passage of time and the battle that occurred back then; it is not perfect."

"For Human Race Fellow Daoists, this item is a top-tier primary material for refining earth-attribute defensive Magic Treasures or large Formation Plates. If one can find a skilled Artifact Refiner, there is a chance to refine a defensive heavy treasure comparable to a fourth-tier item!"

"Furthermore, the residual Law fluctuations and Dragon Clan Aura on it are of no small reference value for those Fellow Daoists who are comprehending earth-attribute Divine Abilities or Dragon Clan secret arts."

"However, its dragon blood is impure, so absorbing and refining it directly carries great risks, and its large volume makes it difficult to handle."

Clearly, as a large chamber of commerce, they disdained to brag about their merchandise and chose to speak the truth.

He paused and announced the price: "Fourth-Tier Baxia Bloodline carapace, starting price—150,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones! Each bid increment must not be less than 10,000 Spirit Stones!"

This starting price was standard for a fourth-tier material, but combined with its "damaged" state, "impure dragon blood," "difficulty in handling," and relatively niche usage, it seemed somewhat subtle.

It was like a top-tier piece of unpolished jade, but it required a master to carve it, and it had flaws itself, making many Cultivators shy away.

After a brief silence, the bidding began, but it was far less intense than the previous hot items.

"160,000." A low voice came from a private room, seemingly an Artifact Refiner or a Formation Master.

"170,000." Gao De spoke for the first time, his voice passing through the Formation, calm and waveless.

"180,000." From another direction, a slightly heavy voice joined in, likely a Cultivator who practiced earth-attribute techniques.

"200,000." Gao De increased his bid again, showing a certain level of determination.

The price climbed slowly, and there were only three or four parties participating in the bidding.

When the price reached 280,000, only Gao De and that heavy voice remained in competition.

"290,000!" The heavy voice seemed to be gritting its teeth.

"320,000!" Gao De raised the bid by 30,000 in one go, attempting to intimidate the other party.

Some whispering arose in the venue. Buying a damaged, limited-use fourth-tier material for 320,000 Spirit Stones was, in many people's eyes, already somewhat overpriced.

That heavy voice fell silent, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.

For him, this carapace might be worth a risk, but exceeding 300,000 Spirit Stones meant the cost and risk were a bit too high.

The auctioneer scanned the venue: "The guest in private room Jia-7 bids 320,000 Spirit Stones! Are there any other Fellow Daoists who wish to bid? A fourth-tier dragon-attribute material, it is rare and hard to come by!"

After waiting for a moment, seeing no response, the auctioneer finally dropped the gavel: "Sold! Congratulations to the Fellow Daoist in private room Jia-7!"

Inside the private room, Gao De nodded slightly. 320,000 Spirit Stones—this price was slightly higher than his initial estimate, but considering its fourth-tier nature and the indeed effective auxiliary role it would play for his own Bloodline, it was still within an acceptable range.

After all, for him, the main value of this carapace lay in accelerating the cultivation of the Purple Heaven Dragon Transformation Art and purifying his Bloodline; Artifact Refining was, in fact, secondary.

The "flaws" and "impurities" on it had a relatively small impact on him, given that he possessed the dragon pearl fossil and a complete Legacy.

Having successfully bid for this item, Gao De felt settled.

Even if he didn't make any more moves, the main goal of this trip had been achieved.

He relaxed and continued to pay attention to the auction, seeing if there were any other unexpected joys.

The settlement procedures would take place after the auction ended.

Gao De continued to sit steadily in the private room, waiting for the subsequent items.

He knew that the later the auction went, the more precious the items would be, and perhaps there would be other things he needed. Even if there weren't, being able to successfully bid for the baxia carapace made this trip worthwhile.

He picked up the slightly cool spiritual tea on the table, took a light sip, and continued to watch the auction platform below.