The moment Lu Ming extended his Divine Thought into the porcelain vial Jiang Chen had handed him, he froze.

His expression turned strange.

Shock and astonishment washed over him. His mouth slowly fell open, as if he had seen something so incredible it shattered his composure.

The look on his face completely betrayed the turmoil in his heart.

GULP!

As a high-ranking manager in charge of auctions at the Treasure Elephant Pavilion, Lu Ming had seen his fair share of treasures. And yet, he was still utterly stunned by the item in the vial.

It was clear that the vial contained a treasure of shocking proportions.

Jiang Chen sat with his legs crossed, having already seen right through the man.

’So he thought I couldn’t produce any real treasures, did he?’

He had anticipated Lu Ming’s change in expression upon seeing the treasure.

After all, Lu Ming was just an expert at the Warrior Eighth Layer Heaven, even if he was a manager at the Treasure Elephant Pavilion.

But Jiang Chen could tell that this man was just a big fish in the small pond of Hanwu City. Outside of it, he would be nothing—just an inexperienced rookie.

Compared to someone like him, who possessed the experience of a Pill Emperor, Lu Ming was worlds apart.

’Just a single Foundation Strengthening Pill and he’s already this shaken.’

He shook his head slightly but said nothing.

’A Gold Quality Foundation Strengthening Pill...’

The moment Lu Ming saw the Elixir in the vial, a storm raged in his heart, and his mouth went dry. He couldn’t be mistaken. This was the legendary Second-grade Foundation Strengthening Pill.

And it was golden.

In other words, it was actually a Gold Quality Foundation Strengthening Pill.

This Elixir was a miracle drug for advancing one’s Cultivation.

The moment he saw the Foundation Strengthening Pill, a rich medicinal fragrance wafted out as soon as his Divine Thought made contact.

Just from sensing its medicinal properties, he knew that if he were to consume this Foundation Strengthening Pill, his Cultivation would absolutely skyrocket.

He might even break through to Martial Master Cultivation in a single go.

A Foundation Strengthening Pill like this was simply too precious.

And a Gold Quality one at that.

He felt like his brain couldn’t keep up.

He swallowed hard again.

He hurriedly sealed the porcelain vial.

’A precious Elixir like this must be preserved with care. It can’t be exposed to the air for too long, or some of its potency will dissipate and affect its final efficacy.’

After taking a deep breath, Lu Ming suddenly realized something.

He had been incredibly rude to the young man.

He scrambled to his feet, a broad smile plastered on his face as he faced Jiang Chen.

"Sir, my name is Lu Ming."

"I would like to apologize for my earlier behavior. I should not have doubted you."

Lu Ming knew that anyone capable of producing a Gold Quality Second-grade Foundation Strengthening Pill was no ordinary person.

This far exceeded his expectations.

No matter what, he had been the one to misjudge, and he now rushed to apologize to Jiang Chen.

A figure like this was a highly sought-after VIP for the Treasure Elephant Pavilion.

He had no choice but to readjust his attitude toward Jiang Chen and become much more cordial.

Jiang Chen, however, wasn’t one to hold a grudge against someone like this.

With a faint smile, he asked, "So, are you satisfied with my treasure?"

"Can it be auctioned at your Treasure Elephant Pavilion?"

He had no need for pleasantries and went straight to the point.

’The reason for his change in attitude is simple: my treasure stunned him.’

Lu Ming nodded hastily. "Absolutely."

"A treasure like this... a Gold Quality Foundation Strengthening Pill... we haven’t seen one at the Treasure Elephant Pavilion in a very long time."

"The one you have is probably the only one to appear."

"If you auction this Foundation Strengthening Pill at our Treasure Elephant Pavilion, we will definitely fetch you a very good price."

In truth, the Treasure Elephant Pavilion wasn’t the only auction house in Hanwu City.

There were two others.

Lu Ming now began to worry that an angered Jiang Chen might take the Foundation Strengthening Pill and auction it elsewhere.

If that happened, he would regret it bitterly. It would also be a huge loss for the Treasure Elephant Pavilion.

They would lose Jiang Chen as a client, and more importantly, they would lose the opportunity to boost the Treasure Elephant Pavilion’s reputation.

Although the Treasure Elephant Pavilion was already famous, its position was currently being challenged by other auction houses.

At a time like this, a sensational treasure was exactly what they needed to make the Treasure Elephant Pavilion’s fame skyrocket.

If the Treasure Elephant Pavilion’s fame surged, their competitors would be left in the dust.

So, Lu Ming hurriedly extended his hand.

He said to Jiang Chen again, "Sir, my name is Lu Ming."

"May I have the honor of knowing your name, sir?"

He began actively trying to build a rapport with Jiang Chen.

He extended a friendly hand.

When he had first met Jiang Chen, he couldn’t be bothered with him. Now, things were completely different.

He had introduced himself and was now offering a handshake.

Jiang Chen’s treasure had played a decisive role.

Jiang Chen extended his hand and shook the other’s.

"Jiang Chen."

He wasn’t going to make things difficult for the man.

After all, he was still very interested in the Treasure Elephant Pavilion.

In the past, he might have looked down on the Treasure Elephant Pavilion, but now, he needed to deal with them.

As for the other auction houses, Jiang Chen really didn’t think much of them.

The Treasure Elephant Pavilion wasn’t just a local establishment in Hanwu City; its branches were spread throughout the Seven Realms and the Nine Desolate Lands.

That’s why he chose the Treasure Elephant Pavilion.

"You’re that young master from the Jiang Family, Jiang Chen?"

Lu Ming was a bit stunned.

He knew of Jiang Chen’s considerable reputation.

It was because someone had stolen Jiang Chen’s Martial Vein.

But looking at him now, Jiang Chen seemed completely unharmed. In fact, his Cultivation seemed to have improved significantly.

’How unexpected.’

"Is there a problem?"

Jiang Chen settled back into his seat and asked.

"No..."

Lu Ming nearly blurted out the rumor about Jiang Chen being a good-for-nothing, but he quickly bit his tongue.

The Jiang Chen before him seemed quite different from the rumors.

He couldn’t afford to anger Jiang Chen and drive him away.

With a nervous laugh, Lu Ming asked again, "Young Master Jiang Chen, may I be so bold as to ask... do you have any more of these Foundation Strengthening Pills?"

After all, a single Gold Quality Foundation Strengthening Pill was worth over five hundred thousand.

He believed that Jiang Chen must have more on him.

Though he wasn’t certain, he couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity.

However, Jiang Chen had no intention of hiding it.

"That’s right, I have more. Ten in total," he said lightly.

"I plan to auction them all at once."

What?

Lu Ming nearly fainted. Ten pills! Jiang Chen actually had ten of these Foundation Strengthening Pills.

Lu Ming gasped.

This was terrifying. A single Foundation Strengthening Pill could allow him to break through to the Martial Master Realm. If he had all ten...

Lu Ming could hardly imagine how high his Cultivation would soar. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

After all, as a Second-Grade Elixir, the Foundation Strengthening Pill had a powerful effect even on Martial Masters.

He took a deep breath.

Lu Ming knew this was a serious matter.

He gave Jiang Chen an apologetic smile.

"Young Master Jiang Chen, please wait a moment. Your treasures are quite valuable... I’m afraid I don’t have the authority to handle this myself."

"I must report this to my superior."