Chapter 86 - 85: 2 Years, Entering the Auction
Chapter 86: Chapter 85: 2 Years, Entering the Auction
Lu Zhao stepped out of the Spirit Puppet Tower, and the clamor of Bixia Marketplace rushed to meet him. He walked along the bluestone street, the air a mixture of Spirit Grass, Talisman Ink, and worldly smoke filling his lungs, yet it failed to quiet the turbulent thoughts churning deep in his mind.
Two years.
It had been a full two years since he left Changfeng County and set foot in Bixia Marketplace. His figure blended into the bustling crowd, but his mind was tracing back through the moments of the past two years.
When he first arrived, after purchasing some Pills, getting a handle on the Marketplace’s prices, and securing channels for Puppet Materials, he poured nearly all his energy into Cultivation and Puppet Refining.
Three Jade Water Pills and one Water Spirit Pill every month. Spirit Stones vanished like flowing water, exchanged for steady progress in his Cultivation. The Little Spirit Rain Technique circulated endlessly, Magical Power surging through his meridians. The seventh strand of Magical Qi in his Dantian was gradually solidifying. He estimated that at this rate of pill consumption, he could advance to the Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer in another three years.
He had consumed countless Pills, but the one that remained etched in his memory was a Blue Spirit Pill from a year ago.
When he held the Pill, it was heavy, cool, and hard, as if refined from Cold Iron. After he swallowed it, it didn’t dissolve with the usual warmth. Instead, it "precipitated" in a strange way—as if a heavy piece of metal had sunk into his Dantian. Every time he circulated his Cultivation Technique, it felt like an invisible carving knife laboriously scraping a thin layer of Medicinal Power from that "iron block."
The Refining process lasted for nearly a month. Lu Zhao meditated daily as the "Gold Stone" released wave after wave of pure yet sharp Medicinal Power that scoured his meridians. His Spiritual Power was immense and his Cultivation soared, but it was accompanied by a piercing pain and sluggishness in his meridian walls.
With Introspection, he could clearly "see" it: faint, grey-black impurities, like metal shavings, clung stubbornly to the inner walls of his meridians like rust, obstructing the flow of Magical Power.
’So this is Pill Poison!’
Though he had long heard of it, and Chen Shutong had even mentioned its dangers, to personally "see" this festering poison spreading through his body made his heart sink.
A chill rose from the bottom of his heart. Lu Zhao’s brows knitted together, sweat beaded on his temples, and he unconsciously clenched his fists. ’The Gold Stone Pill... the hidden dangers are truly immense! If I don’t clear this out in time, this Pill Poison won’t just be a burden; it will become a fatal obstacle when I try to break through to a higher Realm.’
"HUUUU."
He let out a long, turbid breath, forcing himself to calm down. Though he was alarmed, the Pill’s effects were undeniably astonishing. That single Pill was equivalent to three months of his own arduous Cultivation.
His Cultivation had soared over the past two years, but the price was a river of Spirit Stones. The majority of the income he’d earned from selling Puppets during that time had been poured into the bottomless pit of "Pills."
Besides Cultivation, he had also done something else. Like a furtive merchant, Lu Zhao had discreetly and slowly sold off the "stock" he had brought from the Zhou Family Marketplace: Cold Iron, Ice Jade Pills, Cold Jade Pills, and even those Water and Ice Element Spiritual Materials.
Goods worth nearly two thousand Spirit Stones from the Zhou Family Marketplace were ultimately exchanged for about three thousand. After adding his previous savings and deducting the mountain of expenses for rent, Pills, and Puppet Refining materials over the past two years, the number of Spirit Stones in his Storage Bag had quietly grown to nearly four thousand!
This was a fortune sufficient to make most Late-stage Qi Cultivators’ hearts pound with envy. As Lu Zhao took stock of it, although a ripple of excitement passed through him, what he felt more was a heavy sense of security—this was his foundation for struggling to survive and seek eternal life on the brutal Immortal Path.
He hadn’t slacked on the Puppet Dao, either. Bixia Marketplace had abundant materials, giving him more opportunities to hone his craft. He had painstakingly raised his success rate for refining Ironwood Guards to nearly sixty percent! One had to know that the Ironwood Guard was known for its difficulty among Tier One Lower Grade Puppets. Such a success rate was clear proof of his refined skill.
And the Ice Wind Wolf Puppet, into which he had poured countless hours of effort, was also finally showing a glimmer of hope.
In two years, he had polished the success rate for refining the Puppet Body to nearly sixty percent. As for the most difficult part, the Puppet Core, he had finally raised the dismal sixteen percent success rate to twenty-five percent. By this calculation, the cost of refining a complete Ice Wind Wolf Puppet could now be kept to around one hundred thirty Spirit Stones, completely escaping the predicament of operating at a loss. If the price of Ice Wind Stone in Bixia Marketplace weren’t so high, the cost could be pushed even lower.
A myriad of thoughts spun through Lu Zhao’s mind like a lantern carousel, and before he knew it, he had stepped over the threshold of Guiyun Residence.
「A month passed in the blink of an eye.」
Lu Zhao stood before a magnificent, imposing building—Jade Brocade Tower.
This was the location of the renowned auction house in Yunjin Square, within the Central District of Bixia Marketplace. The entire structure was built primarily from Profound Sinking Spirit Wood, adorned with numerous white Cloud Pattern Stone Carvings, giving it a grand and profound air. On the high lintel, the three gilded words "Jade Brocade Tower" glittered in the sunlight.
Before the entrance, four guards in matching cloud-patterned brocade robes stood solemnly. Their auras were deep and composed; all were Late-stage Qi Cultivators. Their gazes, sharp as a hawk’s, silently inspected every Cultivator who approached.
Lu Zhao steadied himself and retrieved a smooth, jade-like invitation from his Storage Bag. A guard stepped forward, took the invitation, and channeled a wisp of Spiritual Power from his fingertips. Instantly, the invitation flashed with Spirit Light, revealing a unique insignia that resonated with the one on the Jade Token in the guard’s hand. After a careful and correct verification, the guard gave a slight nod and stepped aside. "This way, fellow Daoist. Your seat is Seat 12, Row 7, Zone C."
The moment Lu Zhao stepped inside Jade Brocade Tower, he felt the outside clamor instantly silenced. A faint scent of sandalwood, which calmed the mind and spirit, permeated the air.
As Lu Zhao walked forward, he saw that the main hall was extremely spacious, extending downwards in tiers toward a central, circular stage built of white marble. Hundreds of people were already scattered throughout the hall. Following the directions on his invitation, Lu Zhao quickly found his seat.
After sitting down, Lu Zhao discreetly surveyed his surroundings. Most of the Cultivators in the hall were like him, with their auras restrained and faces obscured, clearly using some form of Magic or Magical Artifact to conceal their identities.
But from certain details—the grade of the Storage Bags hanging at their waists, the unintentional fluctuations of Spiritual Power, their composed demeanors—Lu Zhao judged that the majority of those present were likely Late-stage Qi Cultivators.
His gaze swept to the second and third floors, where individual private boxes were located, their windows veiled with thin gauze that obscured the view within. But those who could sit there were either rich or noble; in all likelihood, they were Foundation Establishment Elders or disciples from powerful Sects and families.
Time trickled by, and the seats in the main hall gradually filled. An hour later, the beaded curtain behind the high stage stirred, and a beautiful woman in a simple but elegant court dress gracefully walked onto the stage.
She appeared to be around thirty years old, her dark hair coiled in a high bun and held by a simple White Jade Hairpin. Her face was dignified and lovely, her bearing graceful. A dark mole near her lips added a hint of charm.
Her light-cyan court dress was tastefully tailored, accentuating her figure without sacrificing solemnity. Exquisite silver cloud patterns were embroidered on the edges of her sleeves, shimmering faintly with her movements. She radiated no oppressive aura, but when her tranquil, water-like eyes swept across the hall, all whispers instantly ceased.
’A Foundation Establishment Cultivator!’