Daoist Jia? Yang Bingzhi stood on the third floor, muttering to himself as he watched the Loose Cultivator who had bought the Evil-Repelling Jade Spirit Pendant leave.

There were not many cultivators who could produce a large number of Spirit Stones on the spot, and the fact that this person had taken the treasure and left matched Jia Ren's usual behavior.

It's really hard to get in touch with Daoist Jia.

The reason he had chosen to return today was that he knew the Tianyuan Auction House was opening. He had hoped to contact Jia Ren to share the Spirit Stones, but just like last time, he couldn't get in touch. Feeling helpless, Yang Bingzhi could only store the Spirit Stone Vein owed to Jia Ren and cut his own share into regular Spirit Stones before rushing to participate in the auction.

Has Daoist Jia been targeted by someone?

As soon as the Loose Cultivator who had bought the Evil-Repelling Jade Spirit Pendant left, several figures also left the auction, among them a cultivator from the Wu Family at the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement. The price of five thousand five hundred Spirit Stones proved the Loose Cultivator's substantial worth, and the Evil-Repelling Jade Spirit Pendant was equally tempting.

Yang Bingzhi activated a Sound Transmission Talisman, hoping to notify Jia Ren. However, the Sound Transmission Talisman could not locate his qi signature and failed to transmit.

"Junior Brother Yang, do you know the Loose Cultivator who left?" a nearby Five Elements Sect Cultivator inquired with a smile, trying to probe indirectly.

The sum of five thousand five hundred Spirit Stones was not small, and disciples of the Five Elements Sect were also tempted. If an opportunity arose, they would not hesitate to act.

"Senior Brother Zhou, I do not know this person. It's just that the life and death of a Daoist friend I am acquainted with is uncertain, and I can't help but be concerned."

"It's good you don't know him. It saves one from difficult situations." The cultivator surnamed Zhou chuckled, as among the followers there were not only family cultivators but also people from the Five Elements Sect. If enough wealth was displayed, there would definitely be those who broke the 'rules.' If something went wrong, they would just find a scapegoat to take the blame. The final interpretation lay with the Law Enforcement Office.

Daoist Jia's hiding skills are extraordinary. He should be safe. The tracking cultivators were at most at the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement, with no Foundation Establishment Cultivators in sight, so escaping should not be a problem.

The auction continued, with one Magic Artifact and rare treasure after another being auctioned off, yet Yang Bingzhi remained seated calmly without making a move.

"The fiftieth auction item is the True Water Refinement Technique, an Artifact Refining heritage from the Shenbing Sect, which was destroyed seven hundred years ago. It's a precious superior grade refining technique. Though the heritage is incomplete and capable of forging only up to high-grade magical artifacts, interested Daoist friends should not miss this chance. The starting price is one thousand five hundred Spirit Stones!"

Every ten auction items, a rare object would appear. As the Shenbing Sect was known for Artifact Refining, their heritage was extraordinary. Had it not been incomplete, the Five Elements Sect would never have let it out.

The superior refining heritage of the Shenbing Sect? For a moment, countless eyes gazed over. Upon hearing the limit was high-grade magical artifacts, many withdrew their gaze. Those well-versed in Artifact Refining even appeared annoyed, cursing under their breath at its impracticality.

The True Water Refinement Technique was indeed an Artifact Refining heritage. However, it was not a universal Earth Fire refining method but rather the quite rare Water Refinement Method. The Water Refinement Method was too slow. Without special True Water or Profound Water to assist, the forged magical artifacts were barely satisfactory, inferior to those made by the Earthfire Refining Technique. With the True Water Refinement Technique's heritage being incomplete and only capable of forging high-grade magical artifacts, clans with refining heritage could only take it as a reference. No wonder the Five Elements Sect was willing to release the Shenbing Sect's heritage; it turned out to be an impractical item.

The price was not high, so it was still worth competing for. Loose Cultivators who were unaware of the market were all red-eyed, eager to snatch the Artifact Refining heritage.

"Two thousand Spirit Stones!"

"Two thousand one hundred Spirit Stones!"

For an item auctioned for over two thousand Spirit Stones, the majority of Loose Cultivators remained silent, as they were focused on Foundation Establishment Pills and dared not participate rashly. A few, however, upon seeing the feverish bidding at the auction, abandoned the idea of continuing to bid for Foundation Establishment Pills. They considered switching to the refining heritage, which was also a worthy choice. With several Loose Cultivators joining, the price rose.

"Three thousand one hundred Spirit Stones!"

There were very few rich Loose Cultivators. As the price barely crossed three thousand Spirit Stones, the number of participants quickly fell, and the price increase slowed.

"Three thousand five hundred Spirit Stones!" The bidder was a family cultivator, and a bid of three thousand five hundred Spirit Stones caused a long silence in the venue.

If it were the Shenbing Sect's True Fire Refinement Technique, capable of creating top-grade magical instruments, it wouldn't have sold for less than ten thousand Spirit Stones. The current price was already inflated.

"Three thousand six hundred Spirit Stones!" Yang Bingzhi no longer hesitated and made his move decisively. He had not forgotten the promise he had made to Jia Ren, owing him an inheritance of the Four Arts of Cultivation. Moreover, he had just learned from Jia Ren about a Large Spirit Stone Vein. He needed to repay that favor, so he decided to first acquire the True Water Refinement Technique as an interest payment.

There was no response to the price for a long time.

"Three thousand six hundred Spirit Stones, second call!"

"Sold!"

Yang Bingzhi's face showed delight. Just as he was about to pay the Spirit Stones, a smiling voice rang in his ears, "Junior Brother Yang, you're that wealthy?"

"I also want to buy Foundation Establishment Pills. Junior Brother Yang, you must help this Senior Brother out."

Several voices transmitted their thoughts; the speakers were not limited to a single Five Elements Sect Cultivator. They all lusted after the Foundation Establishment Pills. It was exceedingly difficult for disciples within the Sect to obtain them, as the required Sect contributions were astronomical, not to mention the competition from fellow disciples. Eager to take advantage of the rare opportunity to purchase with Spirit Stones, they could not afford to miss out.

The Foundation Establishment Pills were used as a draw by the Five Elements Sect, and in theory, Sect disciples were not supposed to participate in the auction, as it would tarnish their reputation. However, people always found ways to avoid risks and find solutions. The Five Elements Sect disciples who had come had already secretly bribed a few Loose Cultivators to act as their proxies to discretely purchase Foundation Establishment Pills. If the plan succeeded, the Five Elements Sect would not trouble their own resulting Foundation Establishment Elder.

"I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint several Senior Brothers... I don't have many Spirit Stones myself."

Yang Bingzhi wasn't close with these fellow disciples. Lend them Spirit Stones? If their breakthrough was successful, there might be some lasting goodwill; if it failed, it was all for naught. If the person he helped was a thankless wretch, success wouldn't guarantee reciprocation; he might even be targeted as an easy mark to exploit. With the risks outweighing the benefits, he naturally wouldn't take such a gamble.

After exchanging a few simple pleasantries, Yang Bingzhi handed over the Spirit Stones and smoothly obtained the True Water Refinement Technique.

Next, I just need to wait for the Foundation Establishment Pill!

Yang Bingzhi did not rashly leave but quietly waited for the auction to present its finale treasure, the Foundation Establishment Pill.

As the auction neared its end, several precious Spiritual Medicines and rare Mid-Grade Talismans appeared. Yang Bingzhi spent eight hundred Spirit Stones to purchase a mid-tier Divine Wind Talisman, but he made no more moves after that.

"The last item up for auction is the long-awaited Foundation Establishment Pill, which can increase the likelihood of successful Foundation Establishment by twenty percent!"

"There's no need for me to overstate its preciousness, as all fellow Daoists should be well aware of its value. So without any further ado, let the main event begin!"

"The starting bid for the Foundation Establishment Pill is four thousand Spirit Stones, with each subsequent bid not to be less than one hundred Spirit Stones!"

"Five thousand Spirit Stones!"

Cultivators had been eagerly anticipating the Foundation Establishment Pill. Though fully aware that the price wouldn't be low, the starting bid of four thousand Spirit Stones was enough to make many hesitate. Especially for the few Loose Cultivators who had specifically come for the Foundation Establishment Pill; they had sold their Magic Artifacts and everything else they could for Spirit Stones, even borrowing from acquaintances. Never did they expect to be excluded right from the starting bid.

Even though a few Loose Cultivators were quite wealthy, seeing the Foundation Establishment Pill's price skyrocket by thousands of Spirit Stones with each bid, despair inevitably set in. The rare Foundation Establishment Pill ultimately remained an untouchable treasure for Loose Cultivators.

They had thought the Great Wilderness was a path to survival... that the hope of Foundation Establishment was within reach. Unexpectedly, it was still a dead end. Where in the Cultivation World was there a safe haven for Loose Cultivators...?

In contrast to the despair of the lower-tier Loose Cultivators was the revelry of Clan Cultivators. Clan powers were weaker than Sects. They did not have the formula for the Foundation Establishment Pill, nor was it likely they could gather the necessary materials to refine it themselves. The occasional appearance of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator within a Clan was usually someone who had risked their life to break through and had, by chance, succeeded. Such individuals were too scarce, perhaps one in a hundred years. The cost was a decline in the Clan's core strength, with no one to follow up. If this approach failed, not only would the Clan's potential Foundation Establishment Cultivator perish, but the Clan itself would also deteriorate with alarming speed.

In most cases, Clans were tethered to Sects. Only by making significant contributions might they be favored and granted a Foundation Establishment Pill. This often meant enduring hardship and acting subserviently, with no guarantee of receiving the desired pill. Whenever a Foundation Establishment Pill became available outside the Sects, it would attract countless Clan Cultivators who would flock to participate in the auction at all costs. This time would be no exception; the Foundation Establishment Pill was destined to end up in the hands of a Clan.

"Eight thousand Spirit Stones!"

In a brief period, the price had already doubled from the starting bid. Eight thousand Spirit Stones was a huge fortune for smaller Clans. A Qi Refinement Realm family, risking everything they had, could only gather that many Spirit Stones. But among them were stronger powers, including Clans with Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and the price kept rising.

"Nine thousand Spirit Stones!"

"Ten thousand Spirit Stones!" A Loose Cultivator shouted out an astronomical price, drawing the gaze of countless spectators.

Hidden agents from the Sects, disguised among the Loose Cultivators, had made their move. The staggering price of ten thousand Spirit Stones silenced the audience, and for a long time, no one else participated in the auction.

"Ten thousand Spirit Stones, second call!"

"Eleven thousand Spirit Stones!"

After the price surpassed ten thousand Spirit Stones, the participants in the auction grew sparse, and the price increase slowed. Even Sect Disciples who had been sitting back comfortably could no longer stay calm and were busily trying to borrow Spirit Stones from those around them. The bidding exceeded expectations, reaching twelve thousand Spirit Stones before stalling.

"Twelve thousand Spirit Stones, second call! Is there anyone else who wants to bid?"

"If you miss out on this Foundation Establishment Pill, you'll never have another chance to buy one!"

Yang Bingzhi's expression fluctuated wildly, but in the end, he still didn't dare to speak up. Producing Spirit Stones was easy, but taking away the Foundation Establishment Pill would be difficult. Once the Spirit Stones were exposed, their source would be the biggest problem. There was also the risk of the Spirit Stone Vein being discovered. He wouldn't do such a foolish thing.

With tens of thousands of Spirit Stones in hand, capable of buying several Foundation Establishment Pills, yet unable to bid, the frustration was unbearable! Yang Bingzhi watched with wide eyes as a 'pauper' joyfully purchased the Foundation Establishment Pill, a bitter taste in his mouth.

In an instant, numerous pairs of eyes fixated on that person, and a violent confrontation seemed imminent.

"Steal the Foundation Establishment Pill!" someone shouted.

But before anyone could act, a sword light penetrated the head of one of the cultivators.

"Tianbao Auction House does not tolerate miscreants!" The imposing pressure of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator flashed by, and those cultivators with ill intentions could only suppress their thoughts.

Violence was prohibited at the Tianbao Auction House, but that did not mean it was off-limits elsewhere. The Clan that had won the Foundation Establishment Pill had just left the auction and had not even exited the Inner City when several Foundation Establishment Cultivators erupted, moving to snatch the pill.

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