The young woman in the yellow dress paused at Wang Hao's offer, then produced a jade box. Opening it, she revealed a twenty-year-old Crimson Blood Ginseng.
"A twenty-year-old Crimson Blood Ginseng is still a first-order spirit herb. It's not what I need!"
Wang Hao already owned that herb. He could plant it in red earth and, in five or six years, harvest a centenarian ginseng. But to refine a Foundation Establishment Pill, he needed a second-order, superior Crimson Blood Ginseng at least two hundred years old—which would take ten years to cultivate!
The young woman frowned slightly, hesitated, then brought out another jade box. Inside lay a White Snow Lotus, emanating a gentle chill and waves of pure energy.
"White Snow Lotus?"
Wang Hao's eyes lit up. This herb was precisely one of the auxiliary ingredients for the Foundation Pill, and exactly what he needed.
He produced two vials of Spirit Gathering Pills and offered with a light smile:
"These two vials are worth sixty spirit stones. Exchanging them for your under-thirty-year-old White Snow Lotus is more than fair!"
But the girl shook her head.
"Exchanging a White Snow Lotus for two vials of pills would be possible, but you yourself said you'd pay more for rare herbs!"
"Is the White Snow Lotus considered rare?" Wang Hao asked.
"If you don't have one, it's rare to you!" she replied firmly.
"Um… you're charming, so your word is final…" Wang Hao murmured, sighing. He added half a vial more of Spirit Gathering Pills to seal the deal with the young woman in yellow.
As the afternoon wore on and dusk fell, Wang Hao packed up his stall and departed.
That day, he had obtained several new seed varieties for his farm and—most importantly—the White Snow Lotus essential for the Foundation Pill. A considerable gain!
He still had four vials of Spirit Gathering Pills left. Combined with those sold to Wang Yanfeng, he now held around five hundred spirit stones.
With that capital, Wang Hao dared to bid on valuable items at the upcoming auction!
Five days passed in a blur. Wang Yanfeng sent for him, and together they made their way to the Azure Cloud Pavilion, venue for the auction.
"Eighth Uncle, why did the family send only you to the auction?" Wang Hao asked curiously.
"Ah, it's all about the Foundation Pill. The family emptied its coffers to buy it. Who else would have spirit stones left for other items? I only came to sell a few vials of second-order pills," Wang Yanfeng explained with a sigh. "It's not just our Wang clan. The other three Great Families likewise sent only minimal representatives. Only the Cheng clan—which skipped the Pill this year—will be eyeing other treasures."
He regarded Wang Hao and asked:
"Are you thinking of buying something, lad?"
Knowing he had only a few hundred stones, Wang Hao replied:
"I'm not seeking anything special, but my alchemy furnace is a bit worn. If a quality furnace appears, I'd like to acquire one!"
"A superior First-Order alchemy furnace? Then why come to an auction? Go directly to the Azure Cloud Pavilion shops—but be prepared: you'll need at least two hundred spirit stones! If you don't find one here, Eighth Uncle will take you there afterward," Yanfeng said.
"Two hundred stones for a superior First-Order furnace? Then a Second-Order must be even more expensive!" Wang Hao exclaimed.
"Of course!" Yanfeng laughed. "The average Second-Order furnace in our clan cost nearly a thousand spirit stones! And even if you have the money, it's hard to get one without connections. Only at auctions like this might you get lucky!"
They climbed to the Pavilion's second floor. This auction was invitation-only: only advanced Qi Refinement cultivators and members of the Five Great Families could attend. Wang Hao relied on Wang Yanfeng to escort him.
The auction hall was simple: a circular wooden platform at its center, ringed by seating for hundreds. Private rooms on the third floor were reserved for Foundation cultivators. Since the Wang clan sent only Yanfeng, they sat in the main hall.
After half an hour's wait, the clear chime of a bronze gong echoed. Conversation ceased and all eyes turned to the platform.
A burly, middle-aged cultivator stepped forward. Standing confidently, he addressed the hundreds of attendees.
"Fellow Taoists, I am Zheng Tong of the Azure Origin Sect, honored to preside over this auction. On behalf of the Sect, I welcome you all. The rules are simple: highest bid wins. If you lack spirit stones, you may offer treasures as collateral—or even auction them off on the spot!"
Wang Hao scanned the stage, wondering if any magical sound-amplifying arrays would be on display.
"Enough with the pleasantries! Let's get started!"
"Yeah! We're here for the Foundation Pill!"
Laughter and murmurs rippled through the hall.
"Silence!"—a thunderous voice shook Wang Hao's ears as a Foundation cultivator from the Azure Origin Sect ascended the stage, radiating intense pressure.
"If you find this tedious, you may leave. Those wishing to bid, behave yourselves!"—he said coldly, then descended.
The hall fell instantaneously silent. Zheng Tong cleared his throat and continued:
"No further delay—let's begin the auction!"
He drew a three-foot longsword from his storage pouch and displayed it.
"Floating Cloud Treasure Sword, Superior First-Order, forged by a Qi Refinement master of the Azure Cloud Sect. Opening bid: sixty spirit stones. Minimum increment: ten!"
"Sixty!"
"Seventy!"
"Eighty!"
The bidding kicked off energetically, and the sword finally went to a Level-Eight wandering cultivator for one hundred and twenty spirit stones.
Next came second-order spirit materials, rare herbs, and even spirit artifacts, all fetching sky-high prices.
Even with his own farm, Wang Hao winced at the sums. Spotting his discomfort, Wang Yanfeng smiled:
"First-Order alchemy tools are usually sold in the Azure Cloud Pavilion shops—it's normal they don't appear at auctions. Afterward, I'll take you to select one."
Wang Hao nodded quietly, bracing himself for the rest of the auction.