"Three thousand one hundred."

"Thirty-two hundred."

"Three thousand four hundred Spirit Stones."

...

The bids came in a flurry, rising quickly. Before long, the price broke the four-thousand-Spirit-Stone mark.

It also easily surpassed the limits of Lin Changheng’s wealth.

But as the bidding continued, Lin Changheng noticed something strange.

The VIP rooms at the top should have been occupied by the major influences, yet there were very few bidders among them.

Instead, new bids rang out constantly from all over the main hall below. The competition was relentless, and it seemed a true fire had been lit among the bidders.

It was a scene of stark contrast.

If someone were to say that all these people below were Loose Cultivators, Lin Changheng wouldn’t believe it for a second.

For one, such a price was far beyond what an ordinary Loose Cultivator could afford. Even a Middle Grade Alchemist like himself found it a stretch and wouldn’t dare to covet the item.

’Let alone other Loose Cultivators?’

’There could only be very few.’

Secondly, he had also observed that these bidding "Loose Cultivators" had barely placed any bids before. Their objective was clearly the Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object.

Even a Cultivator like Lin Changheng, who had few needs, had encountered several tempting items during this two-day-long Auction. Could an ordinary Loose Cultivator truly sit still and not be moved?

Besides, even without deliberately using it, his Great Success Spirit Detecting Skill allowed him to faintly sense that nearly half of these people were not at the Ninth Layer Qi Cultivation.

’Interesting.’

You stand on a bridge enjoying the scenery, while someone on a balcony is enjoying the sight of you.

While others were fiercely contending for the item on stage, Lin Changheng was observing and studying them.

After some deduction, a very likely guess formed in Lin Changheng’s mind.

’These people must be "proxy bidders" sent by the influences in the VIP rooms above.’

’After all, these influences frequently cross paths. They must know each other well, and there might even be rivalries among them.’

’If one of them openly bid for and won the item, wouldn’t that publicly declare that their family had acquired a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object and might soon have a new Foundation Establishment Cultivator?’

’What kind of pressure and shock would that be to neighboring influences of the same level, and to potential rivals?’

’It’s not impossible that those influences might seize the opportunity to snuff out this possibility by launching an ambush, or even joining forces to do so.’

In fact, many similar situations have genuinely occurred throughout the history of the Cultivation Realm.

There was once a Qi Cultivation Clan that spent its entire fortune to win a Foundation Establishment Pill at an auction. While they were returning to their clan, overjoyed, the news leaked. They were ambushed midway by a joint force of three major influences from the area around their clan’s residence.

The traveling party was annihilated, and the Elixir was stolen.

The incident later came to light because the three influences couldn’t agree on how to divide the Pill. None of them was willing to give up the Foundation Establishment Pill, fearing that if they prevented one clan from rising, another Foundation Establishment Clan might emerge and encroach on their own territory. This led to internal strife.

At the time, they nearly beat each other’s brains out. The commotion from their chaotic battle was so huge that the matter became public knowledge.

After several similar incidents, all the clans learned a lesson:

When acquiring Treasures related to Foundation Establishment, like the Foundation Establishment Pill and Foundation Establishment Spiritual Objects, they would suppress all news, conceal it with all their might, and have the person break through in secret.

The scene at this Auction was a variation, an extension, of that practice.

They would have trusted juniors or elders from the clan carry the Spirit Stones to bid, while the clan’s main force remained in the VIP rooms, overseeing the floor to ensure nothing went wrong.

Once they succeeded, the person would immediately leave with the Pill, but without leaving the Marketplace.

After hiding for two or three days, they would quietly rejoin the main group and return to the clan together.

Alternatively, they would hand the Foundation Establishment Pill to a clan elder, who would then blend into the crowd leaving the Marketplace and bring it back without anyone noticing.

This way, the matter could be handled silently, suppressing most of the potential risks.

’It has a certain flavor of the "decoy tombs" from my past life.’

Conceal the Pill, so no one knows its location.

...

Soon, the bids soared straight up.

The price approached the eight-thousand-Spirit-Stone mark.

Only then did the fervor of the bidding on the floor die down significantly. The number of people still calling out prices could be counted on one hand.

Two of them, in particular, seemed absolutely determined to win, bidding without pause.

It was a constant back-and-forth, with one outbidding the other.

This continued until the very end.

The bidding stopped at nine thousand five hundred Lower Grade Spirit Stones.

The price was called by an aged voice from behind and to the side of Lin Changheng.

This price was about ten percent higher than average, but for a clan to produce a Foundation Establishment Cultivator and elevate its status, it was nothing.

But this was, after all, an external object that only provided a ten percent increase in the Foundation Establishment Probability. Whether one could successfully achieve Foundation Establishment ultimately depended on the Foundation Establishment Seed’s own accumulated foundation.

Indeed, those with exceptional talent or those willing to burn their bridges could also attempt Foundation Establishment without a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object or a Foundation Establishment Pill.

They weren’t absolutely necessary.

Therefore, the specific value of a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object varied from person to person and clan to clan, with noticeable differences.

The Foundation Establishment Pill, however, was vastly different. Not only did it double the Foundation Establishment Probability, but it also protected the Dantian and meridians, preventing the Cultivator from crippling themselves in case the breakthrough failed.

It was safer and preserved the possibility of a second attempt at Foundation Establishment.

This was very important.

Therefore, even a genius with an excellent Spirit Root would prepare one, unless something unexpected happened.

After all, no one could guarantee a one hundred percent success rate for their own Foundation Establishment.

In practice, there were only two outcomes: success or failure.

...

Lin Changheng blended into the stream of people leaving their seats and exited the hall.

He deliberately wandered around the Marketplace a few times to make sure he wasn’t being followed before entering the Immortal Inn.

There were still seven days until the scheduled departure time with the Xu Family’s caravan.

He stayed there for five days.

He remained holed up in his room, never stepping outside.

Even if any ill-intentioned person had managed to follow him, they would have likely grown numb from waiting.

Over the next few days, aside from Cultivation, Lin Changheng carefully studied the two Pill Formulas he had obtained at the Auction.

The Upper Grade Pill Formula recorded a Fire Element Upper Grade Elixir called the Red Sky Magical Pill.

Lin Changheng could only understand a small part of it; the rest was a mystery.

The profound Skills, evolving concepts, and combinations of techniques within it were far more complex and abstruse than those of Middle Grade Alchemy.

The difficulty could be said to have increased exponentially.

This was because he lacked an Upper Grade Inheritance and had insufficient accumulation in the Alchemy Dao.

Lin Changheng was well aware of this and didn’t force himself to master it without a teacher right away.

The path of the Alchemy Dao required both theory and practice, and one had to proceed one step at a time.

As for the other Middle Grade Pill Formula, it was for Refining a Wood Element Middle Grade Elixir called the Green Lotus Pill.

This Elixir was much simpler. Lin Changheng understood most of it with just a single glance.

After spending less than two more days studying it, he had a clear grasp of its key points and details.

As soon as he purchased the Medicinal Materials, he could start a furnace and begin Refining.

...

Lin Changheng also spent some time studying the newly acquired Feather and Essence Blood from the Nether Void Bloodline Demon Beast, but he came up with nothing.

Fortunately, the "Beast Master’s Detailed Explanation" that came with the auction item helped him a great deal.

Besides a basic analysis of the Nourishing Spirit properties and characteristics of these two Demon Beast Materials,

it also went into considerable detail about what kind of Magical Artifacts and Spiritual Artifacts the Feather was suitable for Refining, and which Elixirs the Essence Blood could be mixed into without conflicting Medicinal Properties.

Lin Changheng gained a lot from it and couldn’t help but feel that there was a good reason why the Ruins District Auction had grown so successful.

’At the very least, their serious attitude and meticulous service are on full display.’