Early the next morning.
Inside Luo Chen's cave dwelling on Tianlan Peak.
Wang Yuan looked at Luo Chen, his brows tightly furrowed. "You're in an extremely weakened state right now. Are you sure you want to attend the auction?"
Luo Chen, who was eating breakfast, managed a faint smile. "I'm going. How could I not? When I make a promise, I see it through."
Wang Yuan shook his head. "It's merely a Tier 3 healing pill. At worst, you could simply drop the Golden Quality Jade Liquid business."
Luo Chen smiled, choosing not to argue with him.
Attending this auction wasn't just about keeping a promise.
As the auction progressed day by day, the remaining items had grown increasingly precious.
By this third day, the lots were no longer items Qi Refinement cultivators could contend for.
This was a grand banquet reserved exclusively for Foundation Establishment True Cultivators—and even Core Formation Revereds.
On the invitation Xuan Yunzi had given him previously, several rare resources had been specifically highlighted, and among them happened to be the very thing he needed most right now.
Given its exorbitant price, having anyone else bid on his behalf would leave him thoroughly uneasy.
Therefore, even though his condition was terrible, attending this auction was something he had to do.
"Xiao Ling, wash the dishes! I'm heading out!"
"Right away!"
Wang Yuan glanced at the ghost cultivator flitting about the cave dwelling, then followed Luo Chen outside.
Releasing the Langqi flying boat, Luo Chen passed its control incantation to Wang Yuan.
Under Wang Yuan's piloting, the two slowly flew off Tianlan Peak.
"What do you plan to do about that ghost cultivator?"
"What do you mean?"
"Even if the Jade Cauldron Domain doesn't forbid ghost cultivators, their path of cultivation is far more arduous than that of normal humans like us. Keeping her by your side day after day will not only make it hard for her to glimpse the Great Dao, but it could even end up affecting you."
Hearing this, Luo Chen couldn't help but chuckle.
His weakened soul was not caused by Bai Meiling.
Wang Yuan was mistaken this time.
Still, seeing his friend care so much brought a warm feeling to his weary heart.
Yet, when Luo Chen recalled Wang Yuan's eventual fate in the long simulation of the Ghost Spirit Heart-Inquiring Mirror, his smile gradually faded.
"I have my own plans for Xiao Ling."
"As for you—"
Wang Yuan looked puzzled. "What about me?"
Luo Chen said earnestly, "The Jade Cauldron Domain doesn't ban ghost cultivators, but it strictly forbids demonic cultivators. Brother Wang, you must never walk down the demonic path!"
"Haha!" Wang Yuan laughed heartily. "Where did your mind wander off to? I'm hardly someone so short-sighted. Besides, all this talk of righteous and demonic paths is utterly ridiculous. When my heart and actions are clear as a mirror, and everything I do springs from my true self, who is to judge what is righteous and what is demonic?"
Faced with such unyielding conviction, Luo Chen naturally had no way to refute him.
He merely sighed.
"Brother Wang, tell me honestly. To what stage have you perfected your body refinement method?"
The Wang Clan Secret Manual Wang Yuan had given him years ago only documented the first realm of body refinement and the threshold of the second realm.
Now that years had passed and Wang Yuan didn't have to manage trivial matters, his comprehension had surely progressed.
Wang Yuan gave Luo Chen a surprised look, not expecting him to show such an interest in body refinement.
Still, having supported each other all this way, there was no harm in speaking of general matters.
He said with confidence, "I had previously supplemented nearly half of it. After establishing my foundation, I gained fresh insights into the soul, will, spiritual qi, and vitality. Because of that, I've recently pieced together the specific cultivation method for the middle stage of the second realm."
"What about the late stage of the second realm?"
Luo Chen pressed on relentlessly!
He asked again, "The techniques you're drawing reference from right now—is it Xiao Wuyan's blood path cultivation method, or the Heavenly Roc Transformation we bought from the black market?"
Wang Yuan hesitated.
In the end, he chose to answer truthfully.
"I mainly drew reference from the blood path method. After all, what I used for Foundation Establishment was the Blood Fiend Spirit Seizing Formation."
Hearing this answer, Luo Chen felt a faint wave of dizziness.
No wonder Wang Yuan had embarked on the path of a blood-cultivating demonic cultivator in his simulation.
Indeed, the simulation was based on real-world cause and effect.
However, if things went on like this, such a cultivation method would warp one's disposition sooner or later.
If Wang Yuan acted with reckless abandon in the future, he would inevitably draw the attention of Core Formation Revereds.
This was Tianlan Immortal City, not Dahe Market!
Taking a deep breath, Luo Chen composed himself.
"Brother Wang, there's a Tier 2 body refinement method at today's auction. When the time comes, I'll bid on it for you. You can switch to it or use it as a reference!"
Wang Yuan was startled.
How had he not known about this?
Just as he was about to ask further, the Langqi flying boat arrived outside Ice Billow Palace.
As they arrived, quite a few Foundation Establishment True Cultivators entering the venue instinctively looked over in curiosity.
This flying boat seemed to be of a much higher grade than the land flying boats Wanbao Tower had been selling recently!
Who could its owner be?
Among those gazes, Luo Chen spotted several familiar faces.
Li Yixian and Nangong Jin, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.
They were gathered beside a group of Foundation Establishment True Cultivators, one of whom was none other than Zhou Qing, an elder of the Lianyun Merchant Alliance from Dahe Market.
Seeing Luo Chen disembark from the flying boat, Li Yixian parted his lips, but in the end said nothing, offering only a wry smile and a nod.
Luo Chen frowned slightly. It seemed Li Yixian and Nangong Jin had both joined the Lianyun Merchant Alliance!
While he observed them, the people over there naturally noticed him as well.
Zhou Qing looked at him curiously, then shook his head in surprise.
From what Li Yixian and the others had said, Luo Chen possessed formidable strength and deep foundation.
Yet at first glance, his eyes lacked luster, and his demeanor was listless.
No matter how one looked at it, he showed all the signs of an unstable foundation.
That made sense. Establishing his foundation in his mere thirties without being a favored genius of a major sect—achieving such a feat at that age must have required unorthodox methods. Naturally, his foundation couldn't be solid.
"Let's head inside!"
As the Grand Elder of the Lianyun Merchant Alliance entered Ice Billow Palace, Zhou Qing called out to Li Yixian and Nangong Jin to follow.
Luo Chen had no inclination to catch up with them either, walking over instead to the members of the Luotian Association who had long been waiting.
Though referred to as a crowd, there were really only three people.
Huiniang, Duan Feng, and Kang Xianqiong.
This was the third day of the auction, and there was no longer any need for the Luotian Association's other Qi Refinement cultivators to take part.
Seeing Luo Chen appear, the heavy stones weighing on the three's hearts finally dropped.
"Big Brother Luo, are you all right?" Kang Xianqiong was the first to greet him.
His lips twitching slightly, Luo Chen felt a bit awkward.
He waved a hand. "I'm fine. What I promised you, I will do my utmost to achieve. Just have your spirit stones ready."
Kang Xianqiong nodded gratefully.
In her eyes, since Luo Chen had promised to do his utmost, it was practically guaranteed to succeed.
"Are you truly fine?"
Duan Feng walked up beside Luo Chen, a look of concern surfacing on his habitually cold face.
He was someone who shared a close bond with Luo Chen.
Along the path they had walked together, he had rarely seen Luo Chen in such a state.
No matter how hard things had been in the past, Luo Chen had always been full of vigor, constantly calculating one thing or another.
How could that compare to now?
Lethargic, with exhaustion written all over his face.
Even his speech carried a sickly tone, resembling someone who had just recovered from a severe illness.
Facing his friend's unexpected concern, Luo Chen clapped Duan Feng on the shoulder.
"Xiao Duan, why worry about me? Instead of worrying about me, you'd better think about when you and Sister Xia will put in the effort to give me a little nephew."
Duan Feng rolled his eyes at him speechlessly and stepped aside.
Luo Chen smiled and walked over to Huiniang.
"Let's head inside. We can talk as we walk!"
...
"The three-year mark is nearly here, and the spirit fields that once lay fallow on Danxia Peak will soon recover to Tier 1 low-grade."
"On the first day of the auction, Yuan Dongsheng, Feng Xia, and I purchased a vast quantity of spirit medicine and spirit plant seeds."
"Once winter passes, our spirit fields will be ready for use."
As they walked, Huiniang reported the events of the previous two days of the auction.
Luo Chen listened, occasionally inquiring in greater detail.
Over those two days, Huiniang had stretched those one hundred thousand spirit stones to their absolute limit.
A vast supply of spirit seeds, various implements needed by spiritual farmers, fertilizers that accelerated spirit plant growth, and much more.
And that was merely what the Medicine Hall required.
She had also procured many resources needed by the Luotian Association's other halls.
Such as the Spirit Quenching Liquid, specialized ores, and molds urgently needed by the Artifact Hall for smithing...
Or how the Pill Hall lacked alchemy furnaces, with older furnaces on the verge of breakdown after years of refinement, prompting her to spend a substantial sum to acquire a new batch of low-grade, mid-grade, and even high-grade furnaces!
Beyond that, she had negotiated a deal with cultivators from Tianyi Pavilion outside the auction for custom dharma robes.
In a single go, she had commissioned one hundred low-grade dharma robes, costing a full twenty thousand spirit stones.
The requirement was that they share a unified style and bear the Luotian Association's insignia alongside standard formations.
Subtly, she was already shaping the Luotian Association in the mold of a proper sect.
Listening to these myriad details, Luo Chen showed great patience.
Huiniang was remarkably capable, and growing more so by the day.
This was a good thing!
It allowed her to shoulder many burdens on his behalf.
During the heart-inquiring simulation, though he had ultimately failed to simulate forming a Golden Core and had not even experienced a glimpse of that stage, the trial had not been entirely without gains.
He had profoundly realized that if he continued living, cultivating, and handling affairs the way he used to, his life would be exhausting!
Not exhaustion brought on by cultivation, but exhaustion from having his attention scattered across too many matters.
Therefore, he had to learn to delegate authority!
Not just delegating to Huiniang, but also devolving more power to people like Qu Lingjun, Duan Feng, and Bian Zhen in the future.
Only then could he focus his attention on cultivation as much as possible.
"Using the quota from the Qinhua River Li family, we successfully bid on a Foundation Establishment Pill."
"President, this is for you."
With respect, yet a hint of reluctance, Huiniang presented a jade box to Luo Chen.
This sight was seen by Duan Feng, Wang Yuan, and Kang Xianqiong as well.
That was a Foundation Establishment Pill!
The item most coveted by Qi Refinement cultivators.
Yet unexpectedly, Luo Chen pushed it back with the back of his hand.
"Keep it."
"Um... pardon?" Huiniang froze.
"This Foundation Establishment Pill belongs to you now. Whenever you reach the Great Perfection of Qi Refinement, take it directly!"
With his hands clasped behind his back, Luo Chen stepped into a VIP private room specially reserved for him by Ice Billow Palace.
Huiniang followed him inside, dazed.
"B-but..."
"There are no 'buts.' We have all seen your contributions over the years. You've earned this. What's more, you don't need to make up any spirit stones for it—it's yours!"
Seeing that Huiniang was still in a daze, Luo Chen added placidly, "As for Min Longyu, I will explain it to him myself."
"Th-thank you, President!" Huiniang's voice trembled with a choke of emotion.
Luo Chen waved his hand dismissively.
The five took their seats one after another, turning their gazes toward the vast hall of the palace.
"Speaking of which, while I was away these past few days, did you keep count of roughly how many Foundation Establishment True Cultivators have appeared in Tianlan Immortal City? Did any major incidents occur during this time?" Luo Chen suddenly asked.
Duan Feng answered at once, "I kept a rough eye on things. Throughout this auction, at least two hundred Foundation Establishment True Cultivators have shown up."
"That many?" Luo Chen was surprised.
Duan Feng shook his head. "That isn't considered many. I had a brief chat with Li Jinhuang of the Qinhua River Li family. In the past, during the peak years, the number of Foundation Establishment True Cultivators attending the auction reached four or five hundred. The current turnout is actually on the lower side."
Luo Chen was quite astonished inward.
He had previously estimated that within Tianlan Immortal City, there were roughly a hundred permanent Foundation Establishment residents.
Those passing through for short visits added perhaps twenty or thirty more at most.
Now, thanks to the grand trade fair and auction, that number had doubled all at once.
At its peak, it could even quadruple or quintuple.
And this was merely the tip of the iceberg!
From this, one could see just how staggering the total number of Foundation Establishment True Cultivators across the Jade Cauldron Domain had to be.
And this was just one immortal city.
Within the Jade Cauldron Domain, there were nine great immortal cities comparable to Tianlan Immortal City, as well as a scattering of smaller Tier 2 immortal cities.
Beyond that, the Seven Jade Cauldron Sects possessed numerous Foundation Establishment cultivators of their own.
Taken as a whole, the number of Foundation Establishment True Cultivators in the Jade Cauldron Domain alone had to reach several thousand.
With so many people crowded into a single domain, the demand for resources would be colossal.
No wonder conflicts were multiplying.
A war breaking out between two Nascent Soul supreme sects was only natural under such circumstances.
After Duan Feng finished speaking, Huiniang shared several notable events that had recently taken place in Tianlan Immortal City.
They amounted to little more than rogue cultivators from outside breaking the city's rules and causing trouble.
One middle-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator had tried to resist the law enforcement squad and fled on a flying artifact.
In the end, a single streak of lightning from the grand formation above Tianlan Immortal City struck him dead on the spot.
The flight ban was by no means an empty threat!
While they conversed, the auction commenced in an orderly fashion.
Having already run for two days, the procedures were well-practiced.
The only difference was that the host of the auction had changed.
It was a Core Formation Revered!
"That is Fairy Jueqing of the Ice Fort, immensely powerful. She made a brief appearance on the very first day of the auction," Duan Feng's voice introduced by his ear.
Luo Chen nodded, his gaze growing slightly solemn.
He had heard the name Fairy Jueqing before, and had even deliberately gathered intelligence on her.
For no other reason than that she was Tantai Jin's master.
In a sense, she was Luo Chen's true backer in Tianlan Immortal City.
"I didn't expect her to host the auction in person on the third day."
Though unexpected, it made sense.
At an ordinary small-scale auction, a single Foundation Establishment True Cultivator could keep the entire hall under control.
However, for a massive auction like this one in Tianlan Immortal City—with over ten thousand attendees and hundreds of Foundation Establishment True Cultivators alone—an ordinary True Cultivator couldn't hold down the fort.
Especially since...
Luo Chen shifted his gaze slightly upward, subtly glancing at several private boxes.
Several Core Formation Revereds were also participating in this auction.
True to her name, Fairy Jueqing possessed a rather cold and aloof disposition. Under her hosting, the immortal city's auction lost the clamorous fervor of the first two days, taking on a subdued, tense atmosphere.
Yet this did not unduly affect the final prices.
The primary bidders were Foundation Establishment and Core Formation cultivators, after all.
Each of them possessed a clear estimate of the true worth of every resource.
When a section of tree heart was solemnly brought forth, Luo Chen knew it was time for him to make his move.
"Warm Sun Gentle Fragrance, a semi-finished Tier 3 spiritual material."
"Harvested from the Tier 3 spiritual tree, the Xuyang Wood."
"Used in alchemy, it nourishes the soul's foundation and expands the reach of divine sense."
"The starting bid is three thousand spirit stones!"
Chapter 257