After reaching Foundation Establishment, the primary pill Luo Chen consumed was the low-grade Soaring Dragon Pill.
Relying on its potent medicinal efficacy, continuous consumption, and other auxiliary resources, he had advanced from the second layer of Foundation Establishment to the third layer in just three short years.
Yet after breaking through to the third layer of Foundation Establishment, his cultivation speed slowed down once more.
Or rather, it was not that it had truly "slowed." Rather, as his realm advanced, each successive stage demanded far more spiritual energy. Compared to the expanded capacity, maintaining his previous fixed rate of cultivation naturally caused his progress bar to creep forward at a crawl.
Luo Chen had continually tried to solve this dilemma, but in the end, he remained powerless.
The mainstream cultivation pills released by the major sects were exclusively of low-grade quality.
Even with plenty of money, there was nowhere to buy better ones!
Fortunately, there was the auction!
*Even though they aren't middle-grade Soaring Dragon Pills, the efficacy of middle-grade Qi Harmonizing Pills should still comfortably surpass low-grade Soaring Dragon Pills.*
*These will be of immense use to me!*
Luo Chen would not let this opportunity pass, so he decisively joined the bidding.
With ample cash flow and seasoned auction experience, Luo Chen soon secured thirty bottles.
For these, he spent nearly forty thousand spirit stones in total.
One had to realize that these were merely middle-grade Qi Harmonizing Pills. Thirty bottles for nearly forty thousand spirit stones broke down to over one thousand three hundred per bottle.
Once again, a transaction closed at an exorbitant premium!
Yet there was no alternative; exchanging spirit stones for time always demanded such a price.
Having secured thirty bottles, Luo Chen knew when to stop.
He refrained from participating in the remaining seven auctions.
*Though I still desire more, thirty bottles are enough to last me nearly a year.*
*If I keep bidding, it will be all too easy to offend others.*
Without Luo Chen driving up the bids, the closing prices for the subsequent middle-grade Qi Harmonizing Pills dropped considerably.
However, the bidding atmosphere grew even fiercer than before.
Each individual bid was not particularly high, but the competition was relentless, and by the final two rounds, the price surged once more.
Watching this unfold, Luo Chen sighed internally.
He was not the only one who understood these principles.
Yet middle-grade and high-grade mainstream cultivation pills had always been strictly controlled by the major sects.
Everyone understood the logic, but these pills simply had a price with no market supply!
*Thirty bottles may supply me for a time, but what about after that?*
*I can hardly wait ten years every time just to bid for a single year's supply!*
Although his immediate worries were dispelled, experiencing the simulation in the Mind Questioning Mirror had made him habitually look further into the distance.
Yet even if he saw the future problem, he had no better solution for the time being.
The auction continued.
As it progressed toward the end, the items presented grew increasingly costly.
Earlier, cultivators in the early and middle stages of Foundation Establishment, like Luo Chen and Lu Rong, had been the ones contesting the items.
Now, late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators had become active as well.
Even several Core Formation Masters began to bid one after another.
Luo Chen gradually fell silent.
Until—
"Brother Luo!"
"Mm, I know."
The Tier 3 healing pill Kang Xianqiong needed had finally appeared.
Many bidders contested it this time.
Luo Chen expended considerable effort and a hefty sum of spirit stones before finally securing it.
"Fellow Daoist Kang, my apologies. It cost five thousand spirit stones more than I estimated."
Kang Xianqiong hurriedly shook her head, her face filled with excitement and gratitude.
"Just winning it was hard enough. If you hadn't stepped in, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to get it at all."
"Thank you, truly thank you."
Luo Chen smiled and accepted her thanks.
Just as Kang Xianqiong said, even if she possessed sufficient spirit stones, it would have been nearly impossible for her to win the lot.
In a grand auction like this, it was no longer merely a contest of financial power.
Because identities were made public, the bids offered often took on the flavor of gauging the person behind them.
Luo Chen's ability to win the item for Kang Xianqiong owed not only to his high bids, but also to the reputation of the Luotian Association and the momentum he had built through his multiple earlier purchases.
Everyone knew he had deep pockets.
When he was determined to win, ordinary people simply could not outbid him.
If he had only blindly shouted high prices, it might have been different, but Luo Chen had also stopped bidding several times midway through prior contests.
Evidently, he was no reckless greenhorn who threw around money without reason.
If others intentionally drove up the price, Luo Chen might abruptly back out, leaving them to bear the loss themselves.
Having fulfilled his promise to Kang Xianqiong, Luo Chen felt a weight lift from his chest.
He had basically secured everything he needed.
Spending money today had indeed been thoroughly satisfying.
For the remaining lots, he planned to be a pure spectator.
Not because he lacked funds, nor because the items were inadequate, but because he could not afford to offend many of the participants.
"Low-grade magic treasure, Thousandfold Seal, fifty-five thousand for the third time!"
"Congratulations to Fellow Daoist Lian Cang of Mount Ailao!"
Looking at the magic treasure that had just been sold, Luo Chen's gaze held a touch of envy.
He knew of this magic treasure.
The Heavy Turn Seal in his own storage bag had been forged with the Thousandfold Seal as its blueprint; it had only been renamed after the refining failed to achieve the original design.
The Heavy Turn Seal was somewhat clumsy in its attacks, but the Thousandfold Seal suffered from no such shortcomings.
Envy aside, he could never step up to compete with Lian Cang.
Because the man was a Core Formation cultivator!
Nor was it just this single lot.
The subsequent auction items grew increasingly valuable.
A middle-grade magic treasure even appeared, ultimately won by a Core Formation Master of Azure Pill Valley for a closing price of three hundred and fifty thousand.
Such an astronomical price was staggering!
Beside Luo Chen, Sima Huiniang and Kang Xianqiong stared dumbfounded.
Even Wang Yuan, usually so composed, showed a rare moment of lost composure.
They could not fathom how many years they would have to earn to amass enough spirit stones to purchase a middle-grade magic treasure like that.
Aside from killing and looting treasures, they could think of no other way to acquire such an item.
Only Luo Chen remained calm.
It was merely several hundred thousand spirit stones.
If he saved for a few more years, he would eventually be able to purchase one through legitimate means.
Just like that Core Formation Master from Azure Pill Valley—had the man not relied on the spirit stones he had diligently earned over many years to purchase the treasure he desired?
*Or perhaps it wasn't even that arduous.*
*Most cultivators from Azure Pill Valley possess some alchemy skills, and their speed of amassing wealth is no slower than mine.*
*A price that ordinary cultivators find unimaginable is mere pocket change to them.*
That was his thought, and indeed, that was precisely how the Core Formation Master of Azure Pill Valley acted.
The man purchased three magic treasures in total: two low-grade and one middle-grade.
His generosity far outstripped that of the other Core Formation Masters.
Time flowed slowly by.
When Fairy Jueqing finally brought out a set consisting of a Dragon Transformation Pill and an Ice Phoenix Pellet, the auction reached its climax!
"The Dragon Transformation Pill originates from Azure Pill Valley, and the Ice Phoenix Pellet originates from Ice Fort; both are Tier 3 pills."
"Taken together alongside our Ice Fort's secret technique, they can increase the chances of Core Formation by ten percent!"
"Starting bid is ten thousand spirit stones. Everyone, please!"
The moment these words left her lips, the entire hall erupted!
Inside the private box, the breathing of everyone from the Luotian Association grew ragged.
Including Luo Chen.
Even so, he suppressed the yearning rising in his heart.
The Dragon Transformation Pill was not difficult to obtain; it was a specialty of Azure Pill Valley and was occasionally sold to outsiders.
The Ice Phoenix Pellet was comparatively rare, generally circulating only within Ice Fort.
Yet in terms of raw price, as Tier 3 pills, they only cost a few thousand spirit stones per bottle. A single pill was worth just a few hundred spirit stones.
Combining the two and opening with a high starting bid of ten thousand was primarily due to the secret technique provided by Ice Fort.
*Increasing the chance of Core Formation by ten percent!*
Amid his internal sigh, Luo Chen said mildly, "Don't dwell on it. This isn't something we can participate in."
The people beside him started, but looking at the origins of the bids rising across the hall, they tacitly banished that inappropriate notion from their minds.
Every single bidder was a great cultivator in the late stage of Foundation Establishment!
Chu Kui, whom Luo Chen recognized, was among them.
The old ancestor of the Zheng family from Gunlong Ridge, though only at the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment, had also boldly entered the contest.
Aside from them, several other powerful figures whose origins Luo Chen could not identify had joined in.
This was a grand feast meant exclusively for late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.
The lower-tier early- and middle-stage cultivators could only watch helplessly.
Meanwhile, the Core Formation cultivators above observed with cold eyes, seemingly entirely unmoved.
In the end, this portion of Core Formation spiritual medicine fell into the hands of a man with red lips, white teeth, and a face as fair as crowned jade.
"That is Xuan Yu, the actual manager of Peach Mountain."
"I've heard he is a male favorite of Peach Blossom Patriarch of the Hundred Blossoms Palace, deeply doted upon!"
Suppressing her excitement, Sima Huiniang softly explained his background to Luo Chen.
Hearing this explanation, Luo Chen understood.
Indeed, when it came to Core Formation spiritual medicine, how could ordinary rogue cultivators at Foundation Establishment ever hope to covet it?
Just look at the group contesting it earlier!
Most possessed the backing of major sects, whether as branch members or vassals.
Even Xuan Yu, though not a disciple of the Hundred Blossoms Palace, was the male favorite of Peach Blossom Patriarch and managed Peach Mountain on the patriarch's behalf.
By comparison, how could other rogue Foundation Establishment cultivators ever compete with him?
Within Luo Chen's field of vision, Chu Kui's dejected expression stood out sharply.
Shaking his head, Luo Chen stood up.
"Let's go!"
"If we want to compete for Core Formation spiritual medicines, it won't be our turn for another century or two at least."
He took it in stride.
Yet others were not so philosophical.
As many departed, they cast lingering, reluctant glances at the smug and triumphant Xuan Yu.
Even if it only increased the odds of Core Formation by ten percent, that was still a ten percent increase!
The difficulty of Core Formation was thousands of times greater than Foundation Establishment!
Unless one had experienced it firsthand, it was hard to truly appreciate how arduous it was.
Yet one could glean a glimpse simply from the minuscule number of Core Formation cultivators in the Jade Cauldron Domain.
In the Jade Cauldron Domain, Qi Refinement cultivators numbered in the millions or tens of millions, and there were several thousand at Foundation Establishment.
Yet Core Formation cultivators, even combining all seven major sects, numbered fewer than a hundred!
This was truly one in ten thousand—or even one in a hundred thousand!
The sole reason Core Formation cultivators were so scarce was that forming a core was simply too difficult.
Now that Xuan Yu had obtained this Core Formation spiritual medicine and possessed the backing of Peach Blossom Patriarch, he stood a strong chance of attaining Core Formation in several decades.
When that time came, he could formally join the Hundred Blossoms Palace as a Core Formation Master, becoming the fourth person alongside the palace's three existing Core Formation cultivators!
***
Leaving the private box, Luo Chen followed Sima Huiniang straight to a side hall of Binglan Palace.
This was the designated location for delivering goods and spirit stones.
After all, a grand auction of this scale involved far too many resources; it was impossible to settle transactions on the spot after each individual lot.
Therefore, everything was accumulated until the auction concluded before final settlements were made.
Arriving in a room shielded by formations, Luo Chen took out ninety thousand low-grade spirit stones.
Among them, twelve thousand had been given to him by Kang Xianqiong specifically to pay for the Tier 3 healing elixir.
The remaining seventy-eight thousand were the spirit stones he had personally spent at the auction.
"Fellow Daoist Luo, here are your items. Feel free to inspect them on the spot."
The person responsible for settlement in this room was an old acquaintance of Luo Chen's.
Shi Boying of Ice Fort.
Luo Chen smiled faintly and took the items. Rather than pretending to be careless for appearances' sake, he inspected them meticulously.
Seeing this, Shi Boying did not mind at all.
When dealing with such a vast sum of spirit stones, anyone ought to be careful.
The Warm Sun Gentle Fragrance was of fine quality, evidently retrieved from Warm Sun Wood not long ago.
The Tier 3 mineral ore, no problem.
The Ice Silkworm Prayer Mat emanated a faint chill; with just a touch, Luo Chen's thoughts grew considerably calmer.
The thirty bottles of middle-grade Qi Harmonizing Pills released dense spiritual energy the moment they were opened; the quality was absolutely beyond reproach!
*Qi and Body from the Same Source*, the Tier 2 body refinement manual. Its seal was intact, confirming it had never been opened since entering the auction.
After completing the inventory, Luo Chen stowed the items away with satisfaction.
"Thank you for your trouble, Fellow Daoist Shi."
Shi Boying offered a smile. "It is no trouble at all. This happens only once every ten years; ordinary, small-scale auctions wouldn't require this old woman to step in."
Previously cold and devoid of warmth, Shi Boying's attitude toward Luo Chen had grown increasingly cordial as his cooperation with Tantai Jin deepened.
When conversing, she was always smiling.
"Does Fellow Daoist Luo intend to leave directly?"
"Mm, yes. Is there anything else?" Luo Chen asked curiously.
Shi Boying pointed in a certain direction. "Ice Fort is hosting an evening banquet. You might as well attend, Fellow Daoist."
"Oh? A banquet?"
"Yes, specifically to entertain the Foundation Establishment cultivators who attended the auction."
Seeing Luo Chen's curiosity, Shi Boying explained further.
As it turned out, the banquet following the auction was not a special event arranged solely by Ice Fort, but a long-standing custom.
After almost every decennial auction concluded, the organizers would host a banquet for Foundation Establishment and even Core Formation cultivators.
The reason was simple.
At auctions, it was common for people to get carried away in the heat of the moment, driving up bids until the winners later regretted their purchases and felt dissatisfied.
There were also those who had been outbid yet desperately needed the corresponding resources.
There were even fools who brazenly shouted astronomical prices only to fail to produce the required spirit stones in the end.
Consequently, the aftermath of an auction was always fraught with conflicts and messes.
Cases of people coming to blows inside or outside Tianlan Immortal City over certain resources were far from rare.
Therefore, the organizers hosted this banquet intentionally.
It allowed people to transfer resources at lower prices to recoup their costs.
It provided an opportunity for those in urgent need of a resource to pay spirit stones and throw in higher-value items in exchange for what they desired.
Items that had failed to sell were also occasionally brought out to be auctioned again.
One could say that having this banquet helped the organizers resolve many potential troubles.
Certain sect prodigies would also appear at such banquets to broadly expand their social networks.
That last point was an extrapolation Luo Chen made on his own.
"Naturally, there are also some who prefer not to participate and depart quietly; our Ice Fort does not insist," Shi Boying added.
After hearing this, Luo Chen considered it and realized that attending such a banquet was indeed worthwhile.
He was not the sort to pursue bitter cultivation in total isolation. Even if he had no resources he wished to trade, he could still make some connections.
Previously, having just arrived in Tianlan Immortal City, he and the Luotian Association had kept a relatively low profile.
Now that the Luotian Association had stabilized and he himself had reached the third layer of Foundation Establishment, it was time to become acquainted with fellow cultivators on the same path.
The four essentials of cultivation were wealth, companions, methods, and grounds.
He had always believed in developing them all comprehensively!
"Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist Shi. I will attend the banquet."
Without lingering, Luo Chen bid farewell to Shi Boying and stepped out of the room.
Outside, he consulted Wang Yuan and the others.
Wang Yuan had no interest in socializing and planned to head straight back to study *Qi and Body from the Same Source*.
Duan Feng felt the same; Feng Xia was waiting for him at home.
Sima Huiniang wished to go, but unfortunately, the banquet was restricted to cultivators at Foundation Establishment or above.
Her status was sufficient, but her cultivation realm fell short, so she could not attend.
Kang Xianqiong, meanwhile, had no desire whatsoever to participate.
After receiving the healing elixir from Luo Chen, she could hardly wait to return to Taishan Market.
As a result, Luo Chen was the only one left to attend the Binglan Palace banquet.
He paid it no mind. After saying goodbye to the four of them, he followed a maidservant into a somewhat dimly lit side hall.
Perhaps because he had arrived early, there were not many people in the banquet hall yet—only a sparse few.
Focusing his gaze, he spotted Chu Kui sitting alone at a wine table, drinking in sullen silence.
"Fellow Daoist Chu, why sit in a corner all by yourself, drinking away your sorrows?"
Chu Kui raised his eyes and gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Aren't you asking what you already know?"
Chapter 259