Two years later, Luo Chen returned to Broken Moon Immortal City.
Compared to two years ago, Broken Moon Immortal City was even more bustling.
Countless cultivators bustled to and fro, and here and there mortals could be spotted—likely brought along by cultivating clans that had relocated en masse.
It was said that not long ago, the Luoyun Sect had even proposed migrating a batch of mortals from the inland to breed, settle nearby, and establish a mortal kingdom, thereby replenishing the supply of low-tier cultivators.
However!
Beneath this surface bustling, Luo Chen could still faintly detect a somber undercurrent.
It was entirely impossible for the front line's first major defeat to have had zero impact on the rear.
And that impact became apparent the moment Luo Chen called upon the master artificer Huyan Zhuo.
"An appointment is required?"
"Yes. My master has taken on numerous commissions recently and is exceptionally busy. So without an appointment... my apologies, Senior Danchenzi."
Looking at the Tianfan City disciple standing before him with neither servility nor arrogance, Luo Chen remained calm.
After thinking for a moment, he said, "In that case, please schedule an appointment for me!"
The disciple hesitated slightly. "Regarding the time?"
Luo Chen handed him a voice-transmission paper crane and smiled warmly. "No matter. I have plenty of free time lately. Whenever Fellow Daoist Huyan Zhuo is available, you may notify me."
The disciple nodded hastily.
Once Luo Chen departed, he carefully put the paper crane away.
"This rumored Grandmaster Alchemist has quite a pleasant disposition," he muttered to himself before turning toward the Forging Hall established by Tianfan City within the city. Inside, Huyan Zhuo was methodically at work, assisted by a group of Foundation Establishment artificers.
He waited quietly off to the side for a long while.
Only when Huyan Zhuo, drenched in sweat, came over to rest did he step forward.
"Keep going!" Huyan Zhuo barked casually. "This azure gold stone is extremely heat-resistant. It must be smelted continuously day and night for nineteen days before it can be used for forging!" Having issued the command, he turned to the disciple waiting with something to say. "Rengui, is something the matter?"
Rengui promptly held the voice-transmission paper crane before him.
"It's Senior Danchenzi. He wishes to meet with you."
"Meet with me?"
Huyan Zhuo's brows furrowed. "That shouldn't be. Regarding those two magic treasures last time, although the Profound Fire Sword was repaired by you all, the workmanship was undeniably up to standard. As for the Heavenly Moon Purple Gold Wheel, I personally spent an entire day patching it up, so nothing should have gone wrong there either. Why look for me?"
Rengui whispered from the side, "As far as I know, the Luotian Alliance lost a Golden Core cultivator on the front line."
Hearing this, Huyan Zhuo froze for a moment, then chuckled with understanding.
He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and chuckled to himself. "Looks like he's growing anxious! That makes sense. Last time, this old man noticed he had haphazardly refined a whole pile of low-grade magic treasures. He only had that kind of leisure because he lacked a life-bound magic treasure to nurture. So seeking me out this time is likely to request that I personally forge a life-bound magic treasure for him to enhance his combat strength!"
Seeing Rengui's perplexed expression, Huyan Zhuo pursed his lips. "Rengui, don't lump Golden Core cultivators from minor sects and loose cultivators together with us. Not everyone can obtain a suitable life-bound magic treasure right after advancing to the Golden Core stage. Only in our Tianfan City can one enjoy such privilege."
Rengui was enlightened, feeling a swell of pride in his identity as a disciple of Tianfan City.
He asked, "Then Master, will you see him?"
Huyan Zhuo hesitated.
Tailoring a life-bound magic treasure for someone was the most lucrative business, with commissions almost equal to the value of the treasure itself.
Yet it was also the most time-consuming!
During this opening war, there were massive numbers of artifact-repair commissions available, and mass-producing and selling standard magic artifacts was far more profitable.
If he took on Luo Chen's request...
"Forging a life-bound magic treasure has too high a failure rate and too high a time cost. I'm not keen on meeting him," he murmured.
Rengui understood. "Then shall I go and decline in a couple of days?"
Just as Huyan Zhuo was about to nod, he recalled a rumor and shook his head instead.
"Better see him after all!"
"I heard that as soon as he entered the Golden Core stage, he was acknowledged by Qingdanzi of Azure Pill Valley, who directly invited him over to refine a Nascent Soul Formation Pill. A few years ago, he even successfully crafted Tier 3 cultivation pills, to the point of being able to supply them steadily to others. That shows just how formidable his alchemy is.
"With a figure like that, even if I cannot help, it is best to maintain good ties. Who knows if I might need to ask him for pills in the future?
"Once I finish what's on my hands, arrange a meeting with him for me!"
Rengui hummed in acknowledgment and took note of the matter.
***
After leaving Wanbao Tower, Luo Chen headed to the Luotian Treasure Hall—formerly Shop No. 8.
Arriving there, he did nothing special, merely confirming the time of the immortal city's auction with Xu Huanzhen before quietly waiting.
He had two tasks to accomplish during this visit to Broken Moon Immortal City.
He only hoped nothing would go awry!
***
The auction would take place half a month later.
Before that, word arrived from Huyan Zhuo.
Without delay, Luo Chen stepped into Wanbao Tower that very day.
Meeting Huyan Zhuo once again, Luo Chen saw that the short old man looked noticeably more weathered than before, proof of just how busy he had been.
Yet the vigor in his eyes showed he had indeed earned handsomely—much like how Luo Chen felt pleased whenever he received payment for pills from Chen Xiuli and Song Mi.
After exchanging pleasantries, they got straight to the point.
"I wish to forge a magic treasure. I wonder if Master has any free time lately?" Luo Chen said seriously.
Not surprised in the least, Huyan Zhuo smiled. "It's the Hunyuan Cauldron, isn't it?"
Luo Chen's brow twitched. Swallowing back what had been on the tip of his tongue, he went along with the topic of the Hunyuan Cauldron.
"Could it be that your noble sect has forged such a treasure before?"
"Naturally!" Huyan Zhuo smiled proudly. "Back before Azure Pill Valley relocated to the Jade Cauldron Domain, they didn't have such abundant extraordinary flames of heaven and earth. When alchemists of their sect wanted to forge cauldron-type magic treasures, they naturally had to seek out my Tianfan City."
Luo Chen grew intrigued. "Since Master is so confident, there must have been successful examples?"
"Of course. Although there were many failures, two cauldrons were successfully forged."
"Oh! I wonder if your noble sect currently has any ready-made Hunyuan Cauldrons?"
"You want to buy one outright?" Huyan Zhuo shook his head. "Then you're bound to be sorely disappointed. Such magic treasures are exceedingly difficult to craft and are generally only made to order. Where would spare ones come from?"
What he left unsaid was that Tianfan City did possess several Hunyuan Cauldrons.
However, they were by no means ready-made for sale.
They all had owners, being used by alchemists nurtured by Tianfan City itself.
"To be frank, the Hunyuan Cauldron has too comprehensive a function, making it exceedingly troublesome to forge. In my early years, inspired by it, I tried forging a Four Symbols Cauldron, only to end in regretful failure. If you want to ask me to forge a Hunyuan Cauldron for you, I truly cannot spare the time right now, nor do I have absolute certainty of success."
Huyan Zhuo spread his hands. "The most likely outcome would be you losing both your wealth and your materials."
Luo Chen listened with great interest.
He had never expected that the Four Symbols Cauldron he had once possessed was actually crafted by Huyan Zhuo himself, rather than an imitation falsely attributed to him to jack up the price.
Not in the least disappointed, he seized the opportunity to inquire further.
"Is it very prone to failure? Why is that?"
"The path of Hunyuan requires all five elements to be present without the slightest imbalance. The difficulty is naturally immense."
"Yet at the end of the day, an initial life-bound magic treasure is merely at the low grade!"
"Heh, that's not how it works. If possible, who would want their life-bound magic treasure to be of poor quality? Furthermore, the Hunyuan Cauldron's power depends on the upper limit of the materials added; the more you add, the easier it is to fail. Unless my revered master, True Person Tianyezi, steps in personally, one cannot even guarantee a success rate above sixty percent."
"True Person Tianyezi!"
"Indeed! My revered master is an absolute Tier 4 grandmaster artificer who has crafted several high-grade magic treasures, and unconventional magic treasures of his are by no means few. It is only because he has rarely taken action in recent years that there was room for my name to spread across the six domains."
"The formation of a magic treasure relates to the inscribed formations. As I see it, the formations required for the Hunyuan Cauldron aren't particularly difficult..."
"You are mistaken there! It doesn't matter that a single formation is simple; harmonizing several formations together places extraordinarily high demands on a formation master's attainment. At the same time, the demands on material quality are exceptionally severe. How could inferior materials ever bear so many formations?"
"Yet the materials you used for the Four Symbols Cauldron back then were quite fine as well. Why..."
"How do you know the materials I used were good?"
"Ahem, this humble one happened to be the owner of that Four Symbols Cauldron. During my Qi Refinement stage, that cauldron helped me immensely."
"To think you and I share such a connection! Ah, well, the principle behind it is quite simple. If the materials are too good, it will also affect the formations' ability to unleash their power. A perfect balance must be struck. How to master that balance is the true test of an artificer's ability."
***
Guided by Luo Chen's deliberate prompts,
the two ended up conversing about the forging of the Hunyuan Cauldron for a long time.
It was only then that Huyan Zhuo suddenly snapped back to his senses.
"I already said I can't help you forge a life-bound magic treasure right now. No matter how much you ask, I have no time!"
Unexpectedly, Luo Chen smiled faintly.
"In seeking out Master this time, what I actually wanted was for you to forge an unconventional magic treasure, not a life-bound magic treasure."
Huyan Zhuo froze.
He raised a finger, pointing at Luo Chen with a slight tremble.
"You rascal, you coaxed words out of me for half the day! I understand now—you plan to take the alternative shortcut to forge the Hunyuan Cauldron, crafting it yourself when the time comes, right? You were just frantically fleecing me for Hunyuan Cauldron forging experience!"
Luo Chen nodded without hiding it.
There were indeed two ways to forge the Hunyuan Cauldron.
One was the standard method employed by artificers.
The other, though cruder, involved the Golden Core cultivator forging it with their own hands; once successful, it would harmonize even better with the master's own constitution.
Huyan Zhuo shook his head and looked at Luo Chen.
"I almost forgot—you seized that Wither-Bloom Fire from the Yan Alliance, so you already possess the foundation to forge artifacts yourself.
"Fine, speak plainly. What magic treasure do you want to forge?"
Luo Chen pursed his lips. "Wings!"
"Huh?"
"Strictly speaking, flight wings of the magic treasure grade. Your noble sect possesses the richest experience in crafting such unconventional magic treasures, which is why Luo could only come to Master."
"Flight wings of the magic treasure grade?"
Huyan Zhuo's brows furrowed slightly as his right hand stroked his beard, seemingly weighing the idea.
After a long pause, he slowly said, "Tell me your requirements, and let me hear them!"
Seeing this, Luo Chen was overjoyed!
***
Leaving Wanbao Tower, Luo Chen exhaled a long breath.
This trip had not been in vain!
Although he had paid a deposit of fifty thousand spirit stones, compared to what he had gained, it was completely insignificant.
The forging experience for the Hunyuan Cauldron;
and securing Huyan Zhuo's personal commitment to tailor a pair of flight wings for him.
His previous Blazing Cloud Wings had grown battered after repeated use.
Especially during that trek to the Great Snow Mountain to refine the Mingyuan Pill.
After several fierce battles, over-activation had rendered them completely ruined.
Without the Blazing Cloud Wings, although he could still activate the Great Circle Tier 3 flight spell Ninety Thousand Miles, his escape speed was reduced by a full thirty percent!
As a result, his speed at the Golden Core stage could be called excellent, but by no means exceptional!
It might have been faster than most early Golden Core cultivators flying on swords, yet it fell short of Tao Wan's Nine Gale Transformations, and fell even further behind the rainbow evasion of the Sword Sect's Golden Core cultivators.
Even when he had once seen Diwu Qi dodging and weaving in a small radius, the sheer burst of speed had seemed slightly superior to his own.
What had been a strength during Foundation Establishment had not quite become a shortcoming at the Golden Core stage, but it could no longer provide an edge.
Precisely for this reason, he sought to restore this capability.
Next, it would be his turn to head to the front line.
Ninety Thousand Miles, a trump card combining offense and escape, could naturally not remain impaired.
Aside from this matter, there was another: the cultivation of the illusion art Mirror Flower, Water Moon.
After reaching the Grandmaster rank, its proficiency grew increasingly slow—slow to a degree Luo Chen could hardly endure.
By his estimate, reaching Great Circle would require at least ten years or more!
Ten years!
That was far too long!
In this era, even if one could not call it the golden age of ancient times when the human race conquered the five continents and anchored the Mountain and Sea Realm, one could clearly see that the demon race was no longer sitting idly by, and sudden shifts had rocked the opening war.
A chaotic age was approaching!
Under such circumstances, every additional trump card meant an extra chance of survival for Luo Chen.
He had no desire to end up like Jiang Yu, his corpse displayed before his clansmen for tribute and mourning.
Therefore, he had to accelerate the cultivation of Mirror Flower, Water Moon.
As for how to speed it up, he had gradually worked out a method.
In essence, Mirror Flower, Water Moon was not an art to be cast at empty air; it required a suitable target.
The more formidable the target, the longer they could hold out against it, and naturally, the faster his proficiency would advance.
In short, he needed a better sparring partner!
Tier 1 and Tier 2 demon beasts could no longer satisfy his needs.
Ordinary Golden Core cultivators would hardly cooperate with him in practice.
Therefore, he needed a Tier 3 demon beast.
A living one!
***
"Did you manage to get admission tokens?"
"Two tokens, one for each of us. That cultivating clan withdrew from the opening war, which is how these two extra tokens became available. Take it, and hurry inside to grab front-row seats!"
"This counts as the first official large-scale auction held by Broken Moon Immortal City, right?"
"Holding an auction of this scale right on the heels of the front-line defeat serves to circulate supplies, gather people, and boost morale for the ongoing war. Those major figures above certainly plan far ahead!"
"Don't forget they can also rake in a hefty commission."
"Enough talk. I just hope to snag a decent Core Formation secret technique at this auction."
"Attempting Core Formation during an opening war—you've got immense guts, Fellow Daoist!"
"The bolder the man, the greater the harvest! In times like these, restrictions on Tier 3 spirit veins are at their weakest, providing the perfect opportunity for people like us to rise. Tell me, shouldn't I take the gamble?"
"Hearing you say that tempts me a bit. How about we pool our bids later?"
"Uh... let me think about it!"
News of the Luoyun Sect hosting an auction had spread long ago.
This was precisely why, despite the front-line defeat, the number of cultivators in the rear only continued to swell.
Everyone knew that with so many cultivators fallen and so many demon beasts slain, unimaginable quantities of resources would flood the market.
In particular, certain major Golden Core sects determined to seize Tier 3 spirit veins were putting up sect assets they did not urgently need in order to trade for resources that could boost immediate combat strength.
And those very items were what leaders of smaller factions and formidable loose cultivators coveted most.
Amidst the surging crowd, orderly conduct was nonetheless maintained.
Only when Golden Core cultivators appeared was an exception made with a dedicated passageway.
Luo Chen was among them.
Cloaked in a black robe, he entered a VIP room reserved by the Luoyun Sect specifically for the eighteen major Golden Core sects.
Upon entering, Diwu Qi was already seated within.
At that moment, Diwu Qi pointed toward a VIP room in the circular palace arena and said in a low voice, "The Taihe Sect exists in name only now."
That VIP room was reserved for the major Golden Core sect, the Taihe Sect.
Yet at present, it was sparsely occupied, with no sign of any Golden Core master.
Luo Chen shook his head; he was naturally aware of the situation.
When the five great sects had laid siege to a peak Tier 3 spirit vein, the Taihe Sect had suffered the heaviest casualties.
Three Golden Cores had perished there.
Only a single mid Golden Core cultivator left behind in the rear had survived.
It was said he had recently been gathering the surviving sect members, intending to withdraw from the opening war.
Yet now that war had broken out, how could withdrawing be so simple?
Luo Chen paid no further mind to the matter, shifting his gaze toward the center of the hall.
According to the auction catalog,
the first round featured resources related to demon beasts.
His objective was among them.
Soon, as he rested with closed eyes, the attending cultivators arrived in full, and the auction gradually commenced.
The initial items up for bid were rare Tier 1 demon beasts or resources tied to Tier 2 demon beasts.
Living, dead, blood and bones, demon cores and pelts...
Item after item was brought out, turning the stage almost into a slaughterhouse, thick with a coppery stench and surging demonic qi!
The cultivators present grew excited, their eyes burning with fervor.
As for the living beasts placed on the auction platform, their eyes held both fury and sorrow.
When Tier 3 demon beast resources began to appear one after another,
Diwu Qi suddenly spoke from the side: "Once a demon beast ascends to Tier 3, refines its throat bone, speaks human tongue, and gains wisdom, it cultivates the Grand Dao of Heaven and Earth alongside us. Such beings are fundamentally no different from Golden Core cultivators like us."
Luo Chen opened his eyes, unsure why he had brought up such a topic.
Diwu Qi said wistfully, "Do you think it possible that in some realm beyond our reach, human cultivators are also placed upon auction platforms, subjected to the appraisal and casual selection of fiends and monsters?"
Luo Chen frowned, momentarily at a loss for words.
One could only say that after failing his seclusion breakthrough to Golden Core Layer 4, the man had grown somewhat melancholy.
Right at that moment,
the Luoyun Sect Golden Core cultivator received a spirit beast pouch from an attendant below.
With a flick of an incantation onto it,
a vivid illusory image manifested in the center of the hall.
"One Tier 3 Grey Leaf Wolf King!
"Though of the most common and ordinary Grey Leaf Wolf lineage, it cultivated all the way to the Tier 3 Demon King realm. Its foundation is solid and its temperament relatively mild, making it exceptionally suited to be tamed as a mountain-guarding spirit beast!
"Starting bid: one hundred thousand spirit stones. Minimum bid increment: ten thousand.
"Interested fellow Daoists may begin bidding."
The moment the words fell,
many in the hall felt their hearts stir.
Such a wolf king might not match a Golden Core cultivator in combat, but it was solidly superior to ordinary Foundation Establishment True Cultivators.
Using it to guard a mountain gate could both bolster combat strength and enhance a sect's prestige.
The sole drawback was that taming such a wolf king took far too long, offering no immediate remedy for the ongoing war.
Still, a starting price of one hundred thousand spirit stones was not expensive; perhaps one could try bidding?
For a moment, many were eager to try.
Right then, a calm voice drifted down from above.
"One million spirit stones."
The Luoyun Sect Golden Core cultivator's eyes lit up, and he immediately called out, "Danchenzi of the Luotian Alliance bids one million! Does anyone bid higher?"
The hall fell silent.
Danchenzi—a newly ascended Golden Core master, and on top of that, a Grandmaster Alchemist.
He didn't bid lightly, but when he did, he multiplied the starting price tenfold in a single breath.
Truly extravagant!
Inside the VIP room, Diwu Qi could not help but glance at Luo Chen, a hint of envy in his voice.
Were alchemists truly this wealthy?
Little did he know, Luo Chen was dipping into his core savings.
*By seizing the initiative and throwing down an overwhelming price, bolstered by my reputation, no one should contest me further,* Luo Chen murmured inwardly.
Fortunately, no complications arose.
After three calls and not a single voice rising in contest, the Tier 3 Grey Leaf Wolf King fell into Luo Chen's hands.
Diwu Qi said sourly, "For a Grey Leaf Wolf with little potential and mediocre combat power, Fellow Daoist spent so lavishly—it truly broadens my horizons!"
Luo Chen smiled faintly and said nothing.
As long as it was "worth the value," there was no such thing as overspending.
He stood up straight away and walked toward the backstage.
Diwu Qi stared blankly. "Fellow Daoist Luo, are you not participating in the rest of the auction?"
Without looking back, Luo Chen waved a hand.
"Good things I cannot afford; ordinary wares do not catch my eye. Staying serves no purpose, so I shall take my leave first."
Diwu Qi parted his lips, struck by Luo Chen's decisiveness.
Who attended an auction without watching from beginning to end?
Even if one didn't buy, simply broadening one's horizons was grand enough!
Yet he did not know that Luo Chen was already racing against time, seizing every minute and second without wasting a single breath.
Moreover, the remaining spirit stones on him could not possibly buy any treasures capable of instantly boosting his strength anyway.
Arriving backstage, he completed the exchange with the surprised Luoyun Sect cultivators.
Without lingering a moment longer, Luo Chen departed Broken Moon Immortal City directly.
As for what thrilling spectacles might unfold in the auction, or whether marauding cultivators would run rampant after its conclusion, none of that concerned him.
His mind was entirely focused on cultivating his spell!
Chapter 495