Chapter 268
Chapter 268
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 268
Chapter Title: The Tiannan Sect's Foundation, the Lu Clan's Treasure Bait
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"Alright."
Chen Jianghe accepted without hesitation.
He didn't have many spirit stones on him, only 18,456. If he came across a useful spirit object, he'd be left staring helplessly without the funds.
Chen Jianghe knew that Zhuang Xinyan had spirit stones.
Jiang Ruxu was an alchemy grandmaster. When she refined high-grade second-tier spirit pills for others, she accepted spirit pills or spirit objects as payment.
When refining low or mid-grade second-tier spirit pills, however, she took spirit stones as payment.
Jiang Ruxu was still the same as before, never handling spirit stones herself. Zhuang Xinyan managed the spirit stones for both of them.
Even after Zhuang Xinyan became a second-tier puppet master, she was still the one in charge of the spirit stones.
Just how vast was the wealth of an alchemy grandmaster?
Chen Jianghe only had to think about his own situation.
If he only had Xiao Hei and hadn't raised Maoqiu and Latiao, the spirit objects he had accumulated over the years would be worth nearly a million spirit stones.
An alchemy grandmaster's ability to earn spirit stones was far greater than that of a talisman grandmaster.
One could only imagine how many spirit stones Zhuang Xinyan had on hand!
If he needed spirit stones, he could naturally ask Zhuang Xinyan and just compensate her with spirit objects later.
With the start of the auction.
The first treasure was a set of Life Extension Pills. The starting price was 1,500 spirit stones, and it eventually sold for 1,900.
On average, each Life Extension Pill went for a little over six hundred spirit stones.
It had to be said that in the Immortal Sect Market City, the prices of Life Extension Pills and Youth Retaining Pills were very close to market value.
The second and third treasures were also Life Extension Pills, selling for 1,940 and 1,920 spirit stones, respectively.
The fourth treasure was a set of Youth Retaining Pills.
The selling price hit a new low of 1,450 spirit stones.
Up until the eighth treasure, all were Youth Retaining Pills, showing that their price was beginning to approach market value.
Of course, this situation only occurred in the Immortal Sect Market City. Even in the Heaven's Gate Market City, the prices would not be this low.
Unless the Tiannan Sect lifted its restrictions, allowing any second-tier alchemist to refine and sell Youth Retaining Pills.
Otherwise, the auction price for Youth Retaining Pills outside the Immortal Sect Market City would certainly not be less than 1,600 spirit stones.
The ninth treasure was a Flesh and Bone Regeneration Pill.
The starting price was 1,500 spirit stones, and it sold for 4,500.
After the prices had fallen, they began to soar again. It seemed the fires of war outside had not been extinguished but were instead raging more fiercely.
The Feng Kingdom had opened eastern and western fronts, waging war against both the Qing and Qi Kingdoms simultaneously.
Chen Jianghe had also bought the "Contemporary Magazine" to keep up with the war between the three kingdoms. Without any Core Formation masters intervening...
The Feng Kingdom's strength was greater than that of the Qing and Qi Kingdoms.
Whether it was Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment cultivators, the Feng Kingdom's cultivators were stronger in combat than those from Qing and Qi.
Even in wars between mortals, the soldiers of the Feng Kingdom had a slight edge.
If the Core Formation masters did not intervene, the Qi and Qing Kingdoms would soon be driven north of the Sky-Reaching River by the Feng Kingdom.
All the territory south of the Sky-Reaching River, excluding the Tiannan Sect and the Immortal Sect Market City, would be incorporated into the Feng Kingdom's domain.
The tenth, eleventh, and twelfth treasures were also Flesh and Bone Regeneration Pills. This was the most comprehensive among second-tier healing pills.
It could not only restore flesh but also regenerate bones.
The final selling prices were all between 5,000 and 5,800 spirit stones.
The thirteenth treasure was a set of five second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills.
The starting price was 8,000 spirit stones.
"These Spirit Recovery Pills must have been deliberately released by the Tiannan Sect, right?" Chen Jianghe said calmly.
Gao Peiyao nodded.
"Before a secret realm opens, the Immortal Sect Market City always has Spirit Recovery Pills up for auction. The quantity is small, and it's another way for the sect to provide for the Core Formation seedlings preparing to enter the secret realm."
As Gao Peiyao finished speaking, the bidding formation in their private room flashed.
It was Zhou Xiaoxuan who had placed a bid.
The sect's Core Formation seedlings generally did not practice any of the hundred immortal arts. Their task was to cultivate diligently and strive to become Core Formation masters.
As for studying the hundred arts?
There would be time to delve into them after all hope of reaching Core Formation was lost.
Therefore, for sect disciples, besides exchanging contribution points for second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills within the sect, their only other option was to seek help from an alchemy grandmaster.
But not every sect disciple had a good relationship with an alchemy grandmaster.
Without connections, even sect disciples couldn't purchase second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills.
The appearance of second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills at the auction was precisely for those sect disciples without connections.
It was true that Zhou Xiaoxuan had Chen Jianghe helping her acquire six second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills, but who would complain about having too many?
In the past, a single second-tier Spirit Recovery Pill would cost only two thousand spirit stones.
But now was a time of turmoil, and with the sect disciples competing, the price of second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills would naturally break all limits.
Chen Jianghe watched the price change on the grand gilded crystal screen outside.
It had already risen from 8,000 to 15,000 spirit stones, yet it showed no sign of stopping.
"Sixteen thousand five hundred spirit stones."
"Sixteen thousand eight hundred spirit stones."
"Seventeen thousand nine hundred spirit stones."
Chen Jianghe closed his eyes to rest. No matter how fierce the bidding for the second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills became, it had nothing to do with him.
He didn't need to buy any.
A few days ago, he had mentioned to Jiang Ruxu about helping him refine some spirit pills.
Six Flesh and Bone Regeneration Pills, six second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills, and six Mind-Clearing and Detoxification Pills were for Zhou Xiaoxuan.
He, on the other hand, needed ten Flesh and Bone Regeneration Pills, twenty second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills, and ten Mind-Clearing and Detoxification Pills.
He told Jiang Ruxu there was no rush; she could refine them within the next twenty years.
A hundred breaths later.
The set of second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills sold for 21,500 spirit stones, making Chen Jianghe deeply realize how important it was to have an alchemy grandmaster as a contact.
The fourteenth and fifteenth treasures were also second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills, each auctioned in a set of five.
They sold for 21,300 and 22,400 spirit stones, respectively.
Zhou Xiaoxuan bought one set.
She did not bid again.
Five plus six made eleven second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills, which was more than enough for her to use in the secret realm.
The sixteenth treasure was a piece of High Purity Jade.
Chen Jianghe didn't hesitate and immediately joined the bidding.
He eventually won it for 10,300 spirit stones.
High-grade second-tier talisman materials were crucial for him, as they related to the resources he would have when entering the unknown secret realm.
With this piece of High Purity Jade, he could draw two more high-grade second-tier talismans, adding another layer of security.
The seventeenth item was a six-foot-long, bucket-thick section of Golden-Thread Bloodwood.
"Our seventeenth treasure for auction is a section of Golden-Thread Bloodwood. A treat for all the talisman grandmasters attending this auction."
"This section of Golden-Thread Bloodwood can be cut into ten portions of high-grade second-tier talisman material. The starting price is thirty thousand spirit stones, with each bid increment no less than two hundred spirit stones."
"The bidding starts now..."
"Thirty-five thousand spirit stones."
"Thirty-eight thousand spirit stones."
"..."
"Forty-one thousand spirit stones."
"Fifty thousand spirit stones."
Suddenly.
The price on the gilded crystal screen jumped to 50,000 spirit stones, a direct increase of 9,000.
Chen Jianghe looked at Zhuang Xinyan. It was clear she had made the bid for him.
The price of one portion of high-grade second-tier talisman material, after the premium, should be a little over 5,000 spirit stones.
Therefore, after Zhuang Xinyan's bid, the changing numbers on the gilded crystal screen only paused for a brief moment.
A breath later.
The price on the gilded crystal screen changed again.
"Fifty thousand six hundred spirit stones."
"Fifty thousand eight hundred spirit stones."
"Fifty-one thousand two hundred spirit stones."
"Fifty-five thousand spirit stones."
Zhuang Xinyan once again raised the price significantly, causing the gilded crystal screen to freeze for three breaths before changing again.
"Fifty-five thousand four hundred spirit stones."
Only this one cultivator was still bidding.
Chen Jianghe had already guessed who was competing with Zhuang Xinyan. If he wasn't mistaken, it was either Cen Linchuan or Yuan Chenyu.
He had seen Cen Linchuan and Yuan Chenyu enter the Hundred Treasures Pavilion together.
Yuan Chenyu had already formed a temporary alliance with Chen Jianghe.
He would definitely be entering the unknown secret realm in the future.
As for Cen Linchuan, he probably didn't know about the unknown secret realm.
The reason he was with Yuan Chenyu was most likely because Yuan Chenyu wanted to ask for his help in drawing high-grade second-tier talismans.
"Sixty thousand spirit stones."
Zhuang Xinyan raised the price again.
This made Chen Jianghe look over at her, only to be met with her extremely confident gaze.
Gao Peiyao knew about the relationship between Zhuang Xinyan and Jiang Ruxu, so she wasn't surprised that Zhuang Xinyan had so many spirit stones.
But Zhou Xiaoxuan didn't know.
Seeing Zhuang Xinyan raise the bid for that section of Golden-Thread Bloodwood to 60,000 spirit stones, she found it utterly incredible.
In her eyes, Zhuang Xinyan was just a pretty Foundation Establishment face, a concubine kept by Chen Jianghe.
"Could it be that Uncle Chen gave her all his spirit stones to keep?"
"If that's the case, then this Fairy Zhuang holds a high position in Uncle Chen's heart. She might have a chance to take Fairy Luo's place in the future."
If Chen Jianghe knew what Zhou Xiaoxuan was thinking, he would be speechless. What spirit stones did he have to give Zhuang Xinyan for safekeeping?
However, to outsiders, it would seem that Chen Jianghe had plenty of spirit stones.
Chen Jianghe was a talisman grandmaster and only raised a single second-tier water-attribute Mountain Velvet Beast. As for Xiao Hei and Latiao, outsiders knew nothing about them.
"Sixty-two thousand spirit stones."
The price on the gilded crystal screen changed again.
Then, it immediately became sixty-five thousand spirit stones.
Zhuang Xinyan was not being petty. To win this section of Golden-Thread Bloodwood for Chen Jianghe, each of her bids increased the price by no less than three thousand spirit stones.
The other person did not continue bidding.
Sixty-five thousand spirit stones had already exceeded the value of this section of Golden-Thread Bloodwood.
However, as long as it ended up in Chen Jianghe's hands, it was not a loss. To him, this was ten high-grade second-tier talismans.
He could sell two of them and easily make back the cost.
He figured the one bidding against Zhuang Xinyan was Yuan Chenyu.
Although he was a sect disciple, he wasn't wealthy. The late-stage second-tier spirit beast he raised had died in the Wind-Snow Valley Secret Realm, and it was said he had since raised a new cub with a superior third-grade bloodline.
This meant he had likely exchanged all the spirit objects he obtained from the Wind-Snow Valley Secret Realm for contribution points and then used them to get a superior third-grade bloodline cub from the sect.
Naturally, he didn't have the financial resources to compete with Zhuang Xinyan.
Besides, even if he had the resources, he wouldn't have continued bidding.
Yuan Chenyu was not a talisman grandmaster. He still had to pay Cen Linchuan to draw high-grade second-tier talismans for him.
And that payment would not be cheap.
A server from the Hundred Treasures Pavilion auction delivered the Golden-Thread Bloodwood to their room, and Zhuang Xinyan paid the 65,000 spirit stones.
She handed the section of Golden-Thread Bloodwood directly to Chen Jianghe.
Chen Jianghe didn't stand on ceremony. He took the Golden-Thread Bloodwood and put it in his storage bag.
He would compensate Zhuang Xinyan and Jiang Ruxu later.
With this section of Golden-Thread Bloodwood, Chen Jianghe now had ninety-seven portions of high-grade second-tier talisman materials.
After drawing them into high-grade second-tier talismans, he needed to give twenty to Gao Peiyao.
And fifteen to Zhou Xiaoxuan.
The remaining sixty-two high-grade second-tier talismans would all be his. With these talismans, he would have security in the unknown secret realm.
The eighteenth treasure was an Ice Heart Breakthrough Pill. The starting price was 10,000 spirit stones, and it sold for 14,800.
The nineteenth treasure was also an Ice Heart Breakthrough Pill.
The selling price reached 15,200 spirit stones.
The twentieth, twenty-first, and twenty-second items were also Ice Heart Breakthrough Pills, selling for 15,000, 15,600, and 15,200 spirit stones, respectively.
As a divine pill for breaking through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, the value of the Ice Heart Breakthrough Pill had always remained high.
If one ever encountered a cheap Ice Heart Breakthrough Pill, it was definitely a trap set by a rogue cultivator.
The twenty-third treasure was a low-grade Origin Spirit Pill.
The starting price was 20,000 spirit stones, and it sold for 21,000.
The price of Origin Spirit Pills was transparent and very stable. Only cultivators who had no connections to acquire one would participate in the bidding.
But the price wouldn't be inflated by much.
At most, it would be difficult for it to exceed two thousand spirit stones.
The twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth, and twenty-sixth treasures were all low-grade Origin Spirit Pills. As Chen Jianghe expected, the selling prices were all between 20,000 and 22,000 spirit stones.
The twenty-seventh to thirty-first treasures were mid-grade Origin Spirit Pills.
The starting price was 30,000 spirit stones.
Just like the low-grade Origin Spirit Pills, the premium would not exceed ten percent.
Chen Jianghe had no intention of bidding on the Origin Spirit Pills. He still had many spirit objects that had not been refined into pills.
Moreover, bidding for Origin Spirit Pills at an auction was basically asking to be a sucker, spending an extra thousand or two spirit stones.
"Next up for auction is the thirty-second treasure."
When the auctioneer uttered the word "treasure," all the cultivators at the auction were startled, their faces filled with curiosity.
Spirit objects that could be called treasures were all quasi-third-tier or higher heaven-and-earth spirit objects.
This meant that this auction would actually feature a quasi-third-tier spirit object.
"The thirty-second item is already a treasure, and there are still seven items left. Could they all be treasures?"
"The appearance of the Exchange Pavilion has dealt a huge blow to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion. This must be forcing the Hundred Treasures Pavilion to raise the quality of its auction items."
"I heard the Exchange Pavilion was established by Taicang Peak, one of the twelve main peaks of the Tiannan Sect. In the future, once the situation stabilizes, the Exchange Pavilion will spread throughout the entire Tiannan Domain, just like the Hundred Treasures Pavilion."
"The Hundred Treasures Pavilion is an enterprise of Chixia Peak. With Taicang Peak setting up an Exchange Pavilion, won't this cause internal conflict within the Tiannan Sect?"
"Why worry about that? The emergence of the Exchange Pavilion is beneficial for us unaffiliated cultivators. It gives us a chance to obtain better resources."
"Indeed! To see a treasure at an auction is a once-in-a-century event. And this is only the thirty-second item, with seven more to go!"
The Foundation Establishment cultivators in the main hall of the auction house were abuzz with discussion, all shocked by the word "treasure."
Hearing the discussions from outside, Chen Jianghe was also a bit puzzled. Taicang Peak establishing the Exchange Pavilion was indeed a significant blow to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
Moreover, this was tantamount to ceding resources to unaffiliated cultivators.
This made Chen Jianghe look at Gao Peiyao and Zhou Xiaoxuan. As disciples of the Tiannan Sect, they should know something about the situation.
Any decision made by the Tiannan Sect would directly affect the entire cultivation environment of the Tiannan Domain.
Chen Jianghe naturally paid close attention.
Zhou Xiaoxuan also looked puzzled, clearly unaware of Taicang Peak's purpose in establishing the Exchange Pavilion.
At that moment, Gao Peiyao sent Chen Jianghe a voice transmission.
"The Sect Master of the Tiannan Sect has a hundred years of life remaining. Taicang Peak is where the Sect Master originated. The next Sect Master has a high chance of coming from Taicang Peak, and also a chance of coming from Chengtian Peak."
Hearing this, Chen Jianghe understood the purpose of Taicang Peak's Exchange Pavilion.
According to the "Annals of Tiannan," the Tiannan Sect possessed a great treasure that allowed each generation of the sect to produce a Nascent Soul True Lord.
In other words, whoever became the Sect Master of the Tiannan Sect could become a Nascent Soul True Lord.
It wasn't that one had to become a Nascent Soul True Lord to become the Sect Master.
The "Annals of Tiannan" recorded that Nascent Soul-forming spirit objects were legendary treasures in the Tiannan Domain, with no recorded instances of anyone ever obtaining one.
Just as the inheritance jade slip Luo Xiyue left for Chen Jianghe said, the Tiannan Domain was a barren land.
It was very difficult for it to support a Nascent Soul True Lord, an old monster who could live for a thousand years.
The reason the Tiannan Sect could dominate the Tiannan Domain was because it possessed an extremely special great treasure.
It ensured that the Tiannan Sect would never have a generational gap of Nascent Soul True Lords.
To become the Sect Master, one not only had to be powerful enough but also had to have made extremely high contributions to the sect.
"A disciple from Chengtian Peak also has a chance to become the Sect Master? Could it be Xiao Chen?!" Chen Jianghe was shocked.
He only knew that Xiao Chen was extraordinarily powerful, exceptionally talented, and had a profound foundation—a true chosen one.
He never thought his future could be so limitless.
But with this speculation...
Chen Jianghe found that he could see through Gao Peiyao less and less.
With such an unimaginable future ahead of Xiao Chen, why was Gao Peiyao still unwilling to be his Dao companion?
If Xiao Chen really became the Sect Master of the Tiannan Sect one day, then the Sect Master's wife would surely also be a Core Formation master.
While Chen Jianghe was lost in thought.
The red silk covering the thirty-second treasure had been lifted.
"This is Cold Smoke Jade, a quasi-third-tier spirit material. It is the main material for refining spirit-nurturing offensive artifacts and can also be used to draw high-grade second-tier talismans."
"The starting price is one hundred thousand spirit stones, with each bid increment no less than one thousand spirit stones."
"One hundred and three thousand spirit stones."
"One hundred and eight thousand spirit stones."
"One hundred and fifteen thousand spirit stones."
"..."
When Chen Jianghe heard it was a quasi-third-tier spirit material, his heart leaped with joy, thinking it was a vessel for a Talisman Treasure.
He hadn't expected it to be merely a spirit material that barely qualified as a quasi-third-tier spirit object.
It could only be used to draw high-grade second-tier talismans, not Talisman Treasures, and certainly couldn't be used to nurture one.
This was of little use to Chen Jianghe.
However, as a main material for refining spirit-nurturing offensive artifacts, it was still quite valuable and sought after by many Foundation Establishment cultivators.
But Cold Smoke Jade was an ice-attribute spirit material.
To refine an ice-attribute spirit-nurturing offensive artifact, one would need to be an ice-spiritual root cultivator to unleash its full power.
If it were to be refined into a spirit-nurturing offensive artifact of another attribute, one would need to use a top-tier second-grade spirit object called a Spirit-Transforming Pearl.
This would undoubtedly increase the cost of refining the spirit-nurturing offensive artifact.
In the end, the bidding for this piece of Cold Smoke Jade stopped at 168,000 spirit stones.
The main reason was that the Cold Smoke Jade was too subpar. If it could be used to refine a Talisman Treasure, its price would definitely exceed 200,000 spirit stones.
Although the thirty-third item was not a treasure, it was a spirit-nurturing offensive artifact that was only thirty percent damaged.
The thirty-fourth, thirty-fifth, and thirty-sixth items were all damaged spirit-nurturing offensive artifacts.
However, the damage was not severe; all were only thirty percent damaged.
Even damaged spirit-nurturing artifacts were treated as treasures by unaffiliated cultivators.
They emptied out the savings they had accumulated over decades in this single moment.
A spirit-nurturing artifact!
It was a treasure that countless unaffiliated Foundation Establishment cultivators dreamed of possessing.
Many unaffiliated cultivators who had reached the late Foundation Establishment stage were still using top-tier offensive artifacts, so they desperately craved a spirit-nurturing offensive artifact.
The thirty-seventh and thirty-eighth items were spirit-nurturing defensive artifacts, also damaged.
Like the offensive artifacts before them, they were all about thirty percent damaged.
After Chen Jianghe succeeded in his Foundation Establishment, Luo Xiyue had refined both a spirit-nurturing offensive artifact and a spirit-nurturing defensive artifact for him.
Therefore, he could hardly imagine the plight of not having a spirit-nurturing artifact, and thus paid little attention to them.
But as the red silk was lifted from the final treasure.
A look of interest appeared on Zhuang Xinyan's face.
"Xinyan, do not bid for this Cloud Essence Stone."
The moment Chen Jianghe saw the Cloud Essence Stone appear, he immediately sent a voice transmission to Zhuang Xinyan.
On the auction stage, as the red silk was lifted, a millstone-sized, light blue crystal was revealed. Inside, a cloud-like mist swirled, and as it swirled, it stirred up a gentle breeze outside.
This was a quasi-third-tier spirit object, the Cloud Essence Stone.
It was a material used to upgrade a high-grade second-tier puppet to a top-tier second-tier puppet. It could stabilize the flow of spirit energy in the core of a high-grade second-tier puppet and greatly enhance its strength.
Second-tier puppets were only divided into high, mid, and low grades, but with the Cloud Essence Stone, a high-grade second-tier puppet could be elevated to top-tier.
Although not as strong as a perfect Foundation Establishment cultivator, it could surpass a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator and even hold its own against a perfect Foundation Establishment cultivator for a moment or two.
It was an absolute treasure for refining second-tier puppets.
It was a treasure in the eyes of a second-tier puppet master.
Other than upgrading high-grade second-tier puppets, the Cloud Essence Stone had basically no other use.
"With this Cloud Essence Stone, I can create a top-tier second-tier puppet for Big Brother Chen in the future."
Zhuang Xinyan looked at Chen Jianghe in confusion and sent a voice transmission.
"This Cloud Essence Stone was deliberately put out by the Lu Clan as bait. Whoever buys it will be the one who killed Lu Qingming."