Obtaining the Subtle Pill Method of Pure Origin

"Trouble?" "Hardly!" Luo Chen shook his head, unconcerned. "This was never your fault in the first place. The Huo clan handled things dishonorably. Anyone attending an auction has the right to voice an opinion. Besides, you two were not the only ones talking. On the contrary, for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to act against juniors like that, he really is..." Huo Hu! Luo Chen rolled the name over in his mind, a pensive look flitting across his face. If his guess was correct, this man was likely the genius sent by the current generation of the Huo clan to the Flame Alliance. He had succeeded in establishing his foundation before reaching fifty years of age. Because the two Nascent Soul superior sects were at war, the Flame Alliance, as a vassal of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect, had joined the fray. Instead of seizing the opportunity to distinguish himself in the war, Huo Hu had used the excuse of handling clan affairs to hurry back to Taishan Market. It was said he had not even stabilized his cultivation realm. Luo Chen could not tell whether this man was simply cowardly and terrified of trouble, or if he had mastered the true essence of keeping a low profile. Judging by how he had just flaunted his might against the weak, however, it seemed far more likely to be the former. Glancing at the two men standing contritely before him, Luo Chen sighed. "Still, when away from home, one must indeed watch their words and actions. Take this incident as a lesson and never repeat it. Rise!" Qu Lingjun nodded repeatedly. Though he had not been targeted just now, that was only because he was standing beside Luo Chen. The oppressive aura Huo Hu had directed at Su Xiaolin had not been friendly in the slightest. Su Xiaolin stood up. The rashness born of his recent breakthrough to the ninth layer of Qi Refinement was gone from his face, replaced by a touch of sobriety. He had truly taken the advice to heart. The next time he made such a mistake, Luo Chen might not be there to shield him. When that happened, it could easily mean death and the end of his cultivation journey. After this little interlude, quite a bit of time had passed. Yet the auction below had still not commenced its proceedings. Luo Chen's lips twitched slightly. People claimed the Huo clan possessed profound heritage, but so far, he had not seen a single trace of it. All he sensed was the air of an upstart. Even organizing an auction was done in such a sluggish, dilatory manner. Inside the auction hall, the din was deafening. There were even shouts and squabbles breaking out. Had it not been out of deference to the Foundation Establishment True Cultivators in attendance, the rogue cultivators below probably would have started brawling on the spot over a mere sideways glance. Suddenly, Luo Chen's ear twitched, and he closed his eyes slightly. "Do any of you have items you plan to bid on later?" It was a voice transmission from Wang Haichao. Nangong Jin: "Count me out. I don't have many spirit stones left on hand, so I'll just be a spectator today." Li Yixian: "I heard Fellow Daoist Yurou mention that for this auction, the Huo clan managed to secure two magic treasures and several supreme-grade dharma artifacts from the Flame Alliance. I am somewhat tempted." Wang Haichao: "Magic treasures do not come cheap!" His transmission carried a subtle tone of dissuasion. Li Yixian replied helplessly, "Of course they aren't cheap, but times have changed. If I have a magic treasure in hand, I will have more confidence to stand my ground." At this point, she asked out of curiosity, "Alliance Leader Wang, is there anything you wish to bid on?" "A low-grade magic treasure named the Mystic Fire Sword. I am determined to have it!" Wang Haichao's voice transmission was resolute and brooked no doubt. In another private room, Li Yixian frowned. The Mystic Fire Sword? By its name, it sounded like a fire-attribute magic treasure. Yet Wang Haichao clearly specialized in water-attribute arts. Why was he so determined to obtain a fire-attribute magic treasure? "Danchenzi, what about you?" Wang Haichao asked. Luo Chen, who had remained silent all this while, chuckled lightly. "I am interested in a secret art called the *Subtle Pill Method of Pure Origin*. I hope fellow daoists will not drive up the price against me when the time comes." The *Subtle Pill Method of Pure Origin*? The name echoed in the minds of the three Foundation Establishment cultivators. Nangong Jin asked curiously, "What kind of secret art is that?" Li Yixian: "This mistress will naturally not compete with Fellow Daoist Luo Chen." Wang Haichao: "I have no intention of vying for that technique. However, Danchenzi, you should be careful of the local Foundation Establishment cultivators bidding against you." Luo Chen smiled faintly. "No matter, I have a modest fortune!" At these words, all three felt a chill of realization. Indeed! Luo Chen was an alchemist. If anyone lacked money, it would never be him. If anything, they were the ones who had to be cautious. Inside the Great River Gang's private room, Wang Haichao opened his eyes with a somber expression. *Luo Chen possesses considerable wealth. Unless it is truly necessary, it is best not to cross him. Otherwise, if it interferes with my bidding for the Mystic Fire Sword, the loss will outweigh the gain.* As he pondered, Min Longyu stood behind him, gazing down at the rowdy scene in the hall with an expression of anticipation on his face. *** "Fellow daoists, thank you all immensely for traveling thousands of li to attend our Huo clan's auction. I am Huo Hu, an inner sect disciple of the Flame Alliance. I will be presiding over today's auction!" Amid all the dragging of feet, the auction finally began as dusk drew near. Once Huo Hu announced his background in the Flame Alliance, however, the noisy hall quieted down considerably. A Golden Core sect possessed undeniable deterrent power after all. As for Huo Hu's skills as an auctioneer, that was open to debate. Looking down from above, Luo Chen could not help but frown. Huo Hu set the starting prices for standard resources excessively high, causing an awkward silence right from the start. It was utterly clumsy. Whether compared to Luo Tianhong of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect or Tianxingzi of the Zhenlong Black Market, he was worlds behind. Furthermore, Huo Hu had no knack for driving up prices. Items that could have fetched a higher sum were introduced without him bothering to conceal their shortcomings... *Wait, why am I worrying on his behalf?* Luo Chen pressed his lips together, afraid he might laugh out loud. Wasn't Huo Hu's poor performance as an auctioneer a great advantage for him? "The next item to be auctioned is a second-tier secret art known as the *Subtle Pill Method of Pure Origin*. "This technique boasts a unique effect: it can dissolve the pill poison and aftereffects caused by excessive consumption of medicinal pills. In addition, it possesses a certain ability to neutralize ordinary poisons. Its only flaw is that cultivating this technique takes a very long time. "The starting bid is three thousand spirit stones, with minimum increments of one hundred!" Hearing Huo Hu's announcement, Luo Chen's eyes lit up. The three Foundation Establishment cultivators from Dahe Market also tacitly turned their attention toward him. Yet Luo Chen did not place a bid immediately. He was waiting! "Three thousand one hundred spirit stones!" Very quickly, a bid came in. And it was not just one person. "Three thousand two hundred!" "Three thousand three hundred!" "Three thousand four hundred!" Bids rose one after another in steady succession. The increments were not large, but they showed no signs of stopping. The slight hope Luo Chen had harbored of snagging it cheaply was promptly extinguished. As expected! In their frantic pursuit of cultivation speed, rogue cultivators often swallowed pills without restraint. Only upon reaching higher realms did they discover the severe aftereffects of taking too many pills. At that point, for the sake of the Great Dao, there would always be people willing to spend spirit stones on a method to purge the poison—even if its drawbacks were significant! The bidding continued, soon crossing four thousand. For a manual that was neither a primary cultivation method nor an offensive or defensive spell, this price was already exceptionally high. The three Foundation Establishment cultivators from Dahe Market watching this unfold could not help but feel astonished. Inside the Li clan's private room, Li Ao could not resist remarking, "A poison-purging technique... If one learns this method, wouldn't they be able to consume pills freely to speed up their cultivation? Aunt, why don't we buy it as well?" Li Yixian shook her head. "How could it be that simple? Didn't you hear a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator state that it requires an enormous amount of time? What you Qi Refinement cultivators lack most is time. How could you squander it on a secret art with zero offensive power?" That was true enough. Pursuing something to save time and accelerate cultivation, only to end up wasting a vast amount of time learning it, was entirely self-defeating and would only bring unnecessary grief. Seeing that Li Ao had understood, Li Yixian added, "Moreover, this is something Fellow Daoist Luo Chen explicitly said he wanted. It is best not to compete with him." Li Ao glanced curiously toward the Luotian Association's private room. "Yet he hasn't placed a single bid so far, has he?" Li Yixian was somewhat puzzled as well. After pondering for a moment, she said hesitantly, "Perhaps he wishes to settle it with a single, decisive strike!" A similar discussion took place within the Nangong clan's room. Nangong Jin's response, however, was simple: "Do not participate in any bidding. Keep your spirit stones ready to secure what we need most!" *** Did Luo Chen want to settle it in one blow? That was part of his reasoning, but his main purpose had been to gauge the financial strength of the other bidders. *Every increment has rarely exceeded five hundred spirit stones. As expected, those in need of poison-purging methods are all people who consume pills regularly. Unless someone possesses a steady source of income like I do, their pockets are bound to be tight. In that case, this will be easy.* Luo Chen was indeed in possession of a modest fortune. After his transaction with the Gold and Stone Pavilion, his total wealth had returned to fifty thousand spirit stones. On top of that, the Luotian Association's accounts still held tens of thousands more. Bidding on a single second-tier secret art posed no real burden for him. He was merely accustomed to spending every coin where it counted most. His gaze fell toward the direction of a certain Foundation Establishment True Cultivator. In his ears came Huo Hu's bored voice reciting the count. "Four thousand three hundred spirit stones going once!" "Going twice..." "Five thousand!" A clear, resonant voice suddenly rang out. Huo Hu glanced in Luo Chen's direction. "The fellow daoist in Private Room Nine bids five thousand spirit stones. Does anyone else wish to bid?" The hall fell into dead silence. A sudden jump of seven hundred spirit stones showed that the bidder did not care about such an amount in the slightest. The Foundation Establishment True Cultivator who had been contesting the item and had been on the verge of winning it suddenly found someone cutting in. He glared venomously toward Private Room Nine, hesitating. Waving a hand, he summoned the maidservant by the door. "Senior Tu, what are your orders?" Tu Shan suppressed his fury and asked in a low voice, "Who is in that private room?" The maidservant froze and answered instinctively, "We are not allowed to disclose—" "I asked you, who is he!" The maidservant shuddered. "They are from the Luotian Association. Their leader is named Danchenzi, a second-tier alchemist." A second-tier alchemist! Tu Shan went rigid, then let out a dejected sigh. The wealth of such an individual was far beyond what he could match. Pushing the contest any further would only invite humiliation upon himself. He abandoned the bidding. "Five thousand spirit stones going twice!" "Five thousand spirit stones going thrice!" "Sold!" Without even offering a word of congratulations, Huo Hu waved his hand and had an attendant deliver the item to Private Room Nine. He was somewhat dissatisfied with the final price. The *Subtle Pill Method of Pure Origin* was a second-tier secret art originating from the Azure Pill Valley, plundered by his senior martial brother from the corpse of an Azure Pill Valley Foundation Establishment cultivator and consigned to him for auction. To think it had sold for only this much. Had Luo Chen known his inner thoughts, he would have scoffed. *With your dismal skills, you expect to fetch a high price? You should have praised the technique to the heavens—highlighting its origins from a Golden Core sect, its suitability as a family heirloom, and how its shortcomings could be mitigated.* All one could say was that Huo Hu had indeed made a public appearance by serving as auctioneer; the cultivators of Taishan Market and the surrounding regions would remember him, but his capabilities fell far short of the role. "So this is the Subtle Pill Method of Pure Origin?" Taking the jade slip from the hands of a Huo clan cultivator, Luo Chen showed no outward excitement, but his heart was filled with curiosity. If he could master this method, he would be able to resume his rapid cultivation once again. Paying no attention to the ongoing auction in the hall, Luo Chen immediately sank his spiritual sense into the jade slip. It was not out of sheer impatience; rather, if there were any issues with the manual, he wanted to be able to return it to their faces. Breaking the one-time ward, he inspected it thoroughly and confirmed there were no major flaws before withdrawing his spiritual sense. By this point, the atmosphere in the auction hall had finally shifted from lukewarm to a fever pitch! The magic treasure, the Mystic Fire Sword, was up for bidding. From the moment it was introduced, its price had skyrocketed. It had started at a mere ten thousand spirit stones, but by the time Luo Chen paid attention, it had already soared to fifty thousand! "Guild Master, something seems wrong!" Sima Huiniang murmured with a suspicious look. Luo Chen nodded. He, too, had noticed the oddity early on. The main contenders driving the bidding right now were none other than Wang Haichao and Nangong Jin, the two Foundation Establishment True Cultivators from Dahe Market! Wang Haichao had previously stated his determination to acquire it. Even though no one understood why a cultivator specializing in water-attribute arts was so keen on a fire-attribute weapon, everyone was willing to grant him that face. But for Nangong Jin to compete so aggressively was truly bizarre. *This is merely an ordinary low-grade flying sword magic treasure, and it suits neither of them. Why is the bidding so fierce? They are practically tearing off all pretense!* Luo Chen's expression turned uncertain as his gaze shifted between the two private rooms. Finally, his eyes settled on the auctioneer, Huo Hu, who looked completely relaxed. *He sits there without a care in the world, as if entirely certain someone would pay an exorbitant price for this treasure.* "Fifty-three thousand!" "Fifty-four thousand!" "Fifty-seven thousand!" The price continued to climb. For an unremarkable low-grade magic treasure, this amount was grossly excessive. Its true value ought to have been around thirty to forty thousand at most. Suddenly, a familiar, melodious voice sounded in his ear. "Fellow Daoist Luo Chen, something is not right!" It was Li Yixian. Keeping his composure, Luo Chen transmitted back, "Indeed, something is amiss. Its value does not seem to lie in the sword itself." "Could it be related to securing a spot to settle in Taishan Market?" Luo Chen's heart jolted. After a pause, he replied, "Perhaps that is it!" Observing the hall, Luo Chen grew increasingly convinced of Li Yixian's deduction. The Huo clan had hosted this auction to showcase the grand occasion of becoming the masters of Taishan Market. Under such circumstances, the event could not afford to fizzle out. If nothing else, several items had to sell for astronomical prices so that people would relish discussing and praising the auction for days to come. Bringing out genuine treasures might be difficult for the Huo clan, or perhaps they simply could not bear to part with them. In that case, why not put forward an ordinary item? And right now, there happened to be several ready marks ripe for the taking! To settle in Taishan Market, newcomers had to show their sincerity—in other words, an entry toll, a pledge of allegiance! Kang Dongyue had also warned him to "put on a good performance" at the auction. Sure enough, when Luo Chen looked toward Huo Hu, the man's gaze was drifting repeatedly toward the two private rooms belonging to the Luotian Association and the Li clan, neither of which had placed a bid. *Is he waiting for us to bid as well?* Luo Chen pondered. Just then, Li Yixian's anxious voice transmission reached his ear. "Fellow Daoist Luo Chen, will you be bidding?"