Chapter 314: Yinshan Pass Auction

Fortunately, the spiritual tide is only a precursor for now, currently brewing. It will take at least several decades before the true spiritual tide arrives. During this period, the Celestial Alliance cannot unilaterally start a major war; at most, there will be minor skirmishes as they test each other out. If, as Senior Brother Qi said, the Celestial Alliance's true intention is merely harassment, that would undoubtedly be the best outcome.

Let's hope so.

Qin Sang silently shook his head and stepped into the Taiyi Pill Pavilion, where a pretty maid immediately came to greet him. Opening his palm, he showed a communication talisman to the maid in the hall. The maid quickly bowed and then led Qin Sang to the highest floor of the Taiyi Pill Pavilion to meet Elder Wen, the pavilion master.

Elder Wen was a friend of Yun Youzi, in charge of the Taiyi Pill Sect's operations at Xuanlu Pass, and wielded significant power. Three years ago, Qin Sang had met him through Yun Youzi and entrusted him with gathering information about the Soul Guiding Grass. Although Shaohua Mountain's strength was no less than that of the Taiyi Pill Sect, when it came to alchemy, whether in connections or industries, it was significantly inferior to the Taiyi Pill Sect. It was rumored that the Taiyi Pill Sect had operations even within the demonic sects' territory. As for whether that was true or false, only those within the Taiyi Pill Sect knew.

As it turned out, Qin Sang had not chosen the wrong person. This very communication talisman had been sent to his cave dwelling by Elder Wen, and it was the reason Qin Sang had emerged from seclusion at this time.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, please take a seat!"

Elder Wen waved his hand, dismissing the maid, and greeted Qin Sang with a beaming smile.

"Qin Sang greets Elder Wen."

Qin Sang cupped his hands in greeting, and at Elder Wen's earnest invitation, he savored the fragrant tea. Elder Wen sized up Qin Sang, and a look of surprise suddenly appeared on his face. "I haven't seen you in three years," he exclaimed, "I didn't expect Fellow Daoist Qin to have already broken through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. This is truly gratifying!"

"It was merely luck!"

Qin Sang cupped his hands again, without a hint of pride on his face. Elder Wen was an expert no less formidable than Yu Yangzi. He had heard from Yun Youzi that Elder Wen was stuck at the late-Foundation Establishment bottleneck, with no hope of breaking through, which was why he had decided to abandon the path of immortal cultivation and take over the Taiyi Pill Pavilion's operations. This person was not unknown in the Taiyi Pill Sect in the past, and his strength was unfathomable.

"Fellow Daoist Qin must have already seen the communication talisman, correct?"

After some pleasantries, Elder Wen got straight to the point. "The Soul Guiding Grass is indeed rare," he said. "It is said that this item can assist some unorthodox cultivators in their practice. Once it appears, there are many who scramble for it. I have also contacted many friends in various places. In the past three years, it has appeared twice at Yinshan Pass, but by the time we found out, it was already too late. Fortunately, this time the news came early enough. We can basically confirm that the Soul Guiding Grass will definitely appear at this upcoming auction."

The auction Elder Wen mentioned had already been described in the communication talisman. This auction would be held at Yinshan Pass, a year from now. Yinshan Pass was a mixed bag of people, a melting pot with unorthodox cultivators, righteous and demonic rogue cultivators—all sorts of individuals. Compared to other major passes, Yinshan Pass was not firmly controlled by a powerful force, making it very 'chaotic', and rare treasures frequently appeared at its auctions. Therefore, every auction attracted a lot of attention. To acquire a desired treasure at an Yinshan Pass auction, one needed considerable strength. No one dared to act recklessly at the auction. In the past, there had been individuals who failed to outbid others and attempted to seize treasures by force. Without exception, they were easily suppressed, and their bodies were hung outside the pass as a warning to others. It was said that behind the auction was the Lord of Yinshan Pass, a Nascent Soul Grand Cultivator!

Hearing Elder Wen's words, Qin Sang pondered to himself. With the Soul Guiding Grass being so sought after, if it appeared at the auction, he would likely have to compete with some late-Foundation Establishment cultivators. As for Core Formation cultivators, there was no need to worry too much, as it was said that Yinshan Pass auctions were tiered, and treasures that would tempt Core Formation cultivators would not appear here.

When the time came, a significant expenditure was inevitable. His current spirit stones would certainly not be enough. Even if he were willing to sell the Yin-Yang Compass or the Sky Poison Veil, it would be hard to guarantee he'd have enough. After all, anything could happen at an auction. Aside from the spiritual items needed to refine the Primordial Concentric Ring, the only thing he could bring out and was willing to part with seemed to be the Azure Dew Epiphyllum.

"Can you contact the friend who possesses the Soul Guiding Grass?" Qin Sang asked.

Elder Wen shook his head. "The rules of the auction are set by higher authorities," he explained. "If it weren't for the Taiyi Pill Pavilion's extensive dealings and a certain degree of rapport with the major powers at Yinshan Pass, we wouldn't even have gotten this information about the Soul Guiding Grass. Aside from this piece of news, that friend wouldn't dare leak any other information; otherwise, he'd lose his head..." Elder Wen gestured across his own neck.

Qin Sang nodded slightly. He knew his question was a bit fanciful and had only asked it casually.

"May I ask what Fellow Daoist Qin intends to do?"

Elder Wen took a sip of tea. "If Fellow Daoist Qin doesn't have time to go to Yinshan Pass," he offered, "I can arrange for someone to bid on the Soul Guiding Grass on your behalf."

Qin Sang pondered for a moment, then shook his head, declining Elder Wen's kind offer, and decided to go to Yinshan Pass himself. Previously, he had not dared to travel recklessly, for fear of being caught by the remnants of the Kuiyin Sect. Now that the Kuiyin Sect had been destroyed, and he possessed the Void Yuan Seal to suppress the Heart Devouring Worm's fluctuations, going there himself was not a big deal. The Kuiyin Sect's Core Formation cultivators were almost all incapacitated. Even if some Foundation Establishment remnants truly discovered his whereabouts, with his current strength, he would not fear them. If he entrusted it to someone from the Taiyi Pill Pavilion, not only might they not act with full dedication, but the price would also be difficult to control. If it ended up being too expensive, it would not be worth the cost. His meager assets could not afford such wanton spending. It was better to be there in person, where he could adapt to circumstances.

Qin Sang then asked Elder Wen about the auction rules and discovered that the auction was not rigid and did not prohibit bidders from trading with each other. During the bidding process, bidders could also exchange items with each other, taking what they needed to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome. In this process, treasures could generally be exchanged at a desired price, at least without fear of the auction house suppressing the price. This further solidified his decision to go in person.

After chatting with Elder Wen for a while longer, Qin Sang bade farewell to Elder Wen and left the Taiyi Pill Pavilion. The auction would not start for another year, so Qin Sang decided to return to the Celestial Crystal Secret Realm to gain experience for a while, earn more spirit stones, and then depart closer to the auction date. With major changes approaching, time was tight, and not a moment could be wasted. Every bit of improvement counted. If he could break through to the late-Foundation Establishment stage or even the Half-Core Formation realm before the war arrived, his chances of survival would undoubtedly increase significantly.

At this time, Yun Youzi had still not emerged from seclusion. Qin Sang returned his cave dwelling to the sect. By then, Senior Brother Rong had already taken over affairs at Xuanlu Pass and made some changes to Senior Brother Qi Yuanshou's previous arrangements. Qin Sang and the others cooperated with Senior Brother Rong to finalize the arrangements, then bade farewell to their fellow disciples, left Xuanlu Pass, and entered the Ancient Immortal Battlefield.

With his mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation, returning to the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, Qin Sang clearly felt much more at ease. Dangers that he had previously feared, he could now easily handle with his current strength. He sped along on his sword, making almost no stops along the way, until he reached Changyang Market.