Eternal Life: I Can Harvest Demon Beast Talents

Soon, Lin Changheng's senses tingled. A powerful aura descended from the sky, and a figure landed directly in the venue.

He sat down cross-legged.

'A Fake Core Cultivator!'

Lin Changheng instantly made his assessment, a chill running down his spine.

The Spiritual Pressure was intentionally restrained, but its unique might was unmistakable. It far surpassed Foundation Establishment Perfection, yet hadn't fully condensed into a True Core.

The newcomer was an old man with a withered face, dressed in a black Daoist robe, his exact age impossible to tell.

His hair was casually tied in a bun with an Ebony Hairpin. His eyes were half-closed and his face was expressionless. He landed directly on a cattail cushion in the innermost circle of the venue—the best position available—and seemed oblivious to the many gazes directed his way, as if he had simply come to meditate.

His arrival was like a giant stone dropped into a calm lake. The low murmur of discussion instantly vanished, and all eyes involuntarily fixed upon him. The oppressive atmosphere in the air grew even heavier. Many Cultivators subconsciously straightened their postures or further restrained their auras.

While a Fake Core Cultivator couldn't compare to a True Core or Golden Core Cultivator, the appearance of such a figure meant one thing: this auction was bound to feature a Treasure tempting enough to draw them out!

'Even a Fake Core Cultivator has been drawn here…' Lin Changheng's thoughts raced. 'It seems the scale of this auction is far from ordinary.'

He grew even more cautious, completely retracting his aura. He stopped using his [Insight] Abnormal Technique and reined in his Divine Sense, keeping it confined to his immediate surroundings to avoid drawing any unwanted attention.

Before a figure of this caliber, even the slightest probing could be detected.

Then, as if on cue, several more powerful auras descended in quick succession.

A middle-aged man in gray robes whose body radiated a piercing Sword Qi, as if he were a drawn blade himself. His Cultivation was at the Peak of Late Stage Foundation Establishment, and his sharp aura was so intense that the surrounding Cultivators felt a faint prickling on their skin.

A Female Cultivator in a magnificent palace gown, her hair piled high in an elaborate coiffure. Her face was gorgeous but held a coldness that warned others away. She descended, flanked by several Late Stage Foundation Establishment guards; her own aura was profound, also at the Peak of Late Stage Foundation Establishment.

Another was a Cultivator in a wide cloak, their body shrouded in a hazy shadow. Their aura was bizarre and erratic, making it impossible to determine their exact Cultivation or origin. The sense of danger they exuded, however, was no less than the others, and it was highly probable they were also a Fake Core Cultivator.

In a short span of time, no fewer than ten Cultivators at the Peak of Late Stage Foundation Establishment or even the Fake Core level had appeared, each claiming one of the prime spots in the inner circle.

The entire atmosphere of the auction grew even more solemn. Though the Spiritual Pressures were restrained, the mental pressure was unrelenting. The Cultivators who had been whispering earlier fell completely silent, and the air seemed to crackle with invisible sparks.

Lin Changheng sat amongst the crowd, as outwardly calm as a reef in the ocean, but inside, his mind was a turbulent sea.

'So many powerful figures are gathering…' he sighed to himself. He had only come to try his luck and see if he could score the Materials he needed, but he never expected to walk into a scene like this.

Even the grand auctions in Floating Immortal City had never been like this.

It seemed that getting anything out of this clash of dragons and tigers would be no easy feat. It would require not only an ample supply of Spirit Stones, but also the sharp judgment to read the situation and… a great deal of luck.

He took a deep breath, calming his Heart and Spirit completely, and waited for the auction to begin.

...

The auction officially began soon after.

A middle-aged Cultivator in a brocade robe, with a portly face and a Cultivation at the Late Stage Foundation Establishment, flew onto the central stone stage. He smiled amiably and cupped his fists toward the crowd in all directions. His voice boomed, carrying clearly to every corner of the venue:

"Welcome, Fellow Daoists, for gracing this auction with your presence. I am Ximen Gu, and I'll be your humble host today. I trust you all know the rules: highest bidder wins. If you're short on Spirit Stones, you may use items or Treasures of equivalent value as collateral, but false bidding is forbidden… Enough idle talk. Let's see the first item!"

With no further pleasantries, the auction began, proceeding in a pragmatic and efficient manner.

The initial items were mostly decent Elixirs, Talismans, and some of the rarer Tier One and Tier Two Lower Grade Spiritual Materials. While the bidding was fierce, it was confined mostly to the Qi Cultivation and Early Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators. The experts in the inner circle—those at the Peak of Late Stage Foundation Establishment and the Fake Core masters—remained with their eyes closed in meditation, completely unmoved.

Lin Changheng waited patiently, unwilling to make a move until something suitable appeared.

Finally, after the auction had been underway for about half an hour, Ximen Gu on the stage produced a Cold Jade Box. As he opened the lid, a cyan-colored branch was revealed to the crowd, and a dense wave of life force and Spiritual Qi instantly billowed out.

"The next item for auction: a stalk of Cyan Falling Cold Branches! This is a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object used to aid the breakthrough into the Foundation Establishment Realm. It can increase the chance of success and slightly reinforce one's foundation! The starting price is eight thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones, and each bid must increase the price by at least one hundred!"

Lin Changheng's gaze sharpened. This was the same item he had seen at the auction in the Ruins District, and it was also the first time he had ever laid eyes on a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object. Its appearance signaled that the auction was now entering a more advanced stage.

"Eight thousand two hundred!"

"Eight thousand three hundred Spirit Stones!"

"I bid eight thousand five hundred!"

The price climbed rapidly. Lin Changheng didn't need to guess; he knew the bidders were mostly Loose Cultivators, representatives from smaller families, or Sect disciples on the verge of a breakthrough who wanted to be thoroughly prepared.

Lin Changheng didn't immediately join the bidding. He waited until the price reached nine thousand nine hundred Spirit Stones and the pace of bidding began to slow. Only then did he speak for the first time, his voice disguised to sound rough and deep: