Chapter 112: Auction

After breakfast, Wang Changsheng returned to his room to cultivate. His trip to the Yutian Conference had been very fruitful; he had not only acquired several second-tier water-attribute refining materials but also fifty catties of diluted Profound Yin Spirit Water.

If he could bid for a Foundation Establishment Pill, that would be even better.

The next morning, Wang Changsheng visited Wang Shuhan, who received him warmly. They agreed to hold discussions at Baiyun Ridge in six months.

"Fairy Wang, I wonder if you still have any diluted Profound Yin Spirit Water?" Wang Changsheng looked at Wang Ruyan, who was standing nearby, and asked politely.

Wang Ruyan smiled charmingly and said meaningfully, "If our Wang and Wang families can cooperate, then of course, we will have Profound Yin Spirit Water."

Her implication was that if the two families couldn't cooperate, there would definitely be no Profound Yin Spirit Water.

Wang Changsheng had merely asked on a whim, not expecting Wang Ruyan to actually possess more Profound Yin Spirit Water. He wondered how much she had.

Wang Shuhan's heart stirred, and he asked with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Wang, may I presume to ask, do you have a dual cultivation partner?"

"No. By the way, Fellow Daoist Wang, do you know how many Foundation Establishment Pills will be auctioned at this event?"

Wang Shuhan gave a wry smile and shook his head. "I wouldn't know. At the last Yutian Conference auction, five Foundation Establishment Pills were auctioned. I don't know about this time, but there won't be too many. Many powers are vying for Foundation Establishment Pills, Fellow Daoist Wang. I advise you to bid for other Foundation Establishment spiritual items instead, such as Purple Jade Spirit Water."

Wang Changsheng nodded thoughtfully. After chatting for a while, he excused himself and left.

"Fifth Uncle, do you think the Wang family will cooperate with our Wang family?" Wang Ruyan asked Wang Shuhan after seeing Wang Changsheng off.

"There's a good chance. Otherwise, he wouldn't have invited us to discuss at Baiyun Ridge. I've decided, Ruyan, you will represent our Wang family in the negotiations with the Wang family."

"What? Me in charge? Fifth Uncle, I've never done anything like this before. I lack experience and might mess things up. You should go! I'll just listen in." Wang Ruyan shook her head, refusing.

Wang Shuhan waved his hand and said seriously, "You have already established your foundation. It's time for you to start sharing the family's burdens. Consider this an exercise. In short, remember to strive for the greatest possible benefits for the family. After the negotiations, return to Blue Moon Lake and report to the Ancestor. This is also the Ancestor's wish. I've kept you by my side all these years, so you must have learned quite a bit. Go forth boldly! The family has your back."

"Yes, Fifth Uncle, I will handle this matter well."

Three days later, the auction was held at Yutian Palace on the mountaintop.

To limit the number of attendees, an entry fee of five spirit stones was charged for Qi Refining cultivators without an invitation. Wang Mingzhong and Wang Yaozu had already attended and decided not to go again. Wang Changsheng brought Wang Changge and two others.

Yutian Palace had three floors. Cultivators with invitations naturally stayed in private rooms upstairs, while those without had to remain in the main hall.

In the center of the main hall was a square platform, surrounded by thousands of wooden chairs. Most attendees were Qi Refining cultivators, with a smaller number of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Wang Changsheng found a seat near the front and sat down. Wang Changge, Wang Changyu, and Wang Changbin sat beside him.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, what a coincidence! Isn't Brother Yaozong here?" A kindly, round-faced plump man approached Wang Changsheng and said with a smile.

Wang Changsheng smiled and nodded. "Fellow Daoist Chen, long time no see. My second grand-uncle couldn't make it due to other commitments. Has your third uncle not come?"

The round-faced plump man was Chen Changsheng, a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Chen family in Changping Commandery. The Chen family was the strongest cultivation family in Changping Commandery, possessing two Foundation Establishment cultivators. In recent years, they had controlled the refining business in Changping Commandery. As the Wang family developed in other areas, they had maintained a peaceful relationship with the Chen family. After Wang Changsheng established his foundation, Chen Changsheng had even visited him.

Chen Changsheng's third uncle was Chen Changming, a sixth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator who had rarely appeared in the past decade or so.

Chen Changsheng chuckled, saying, "Coincidentally, my third uncle, like Brother Yaozong, couldn't make it due to other matters."

"Greetings, Senior Chen." Wang Changge and the two others quickly stood up and bowed.

At this moment, several Chen family disciples also walked over and bowed to Wang Changsheng, "Greetings, Senior Wang."

Wang Changsheng looked at a tall young man in a blue shirt and said with a smile, "Xianren, you're here too. It's been a few years, and you've already cultivated to the ninth level of Qi Refining. Not bad."

Chen Xianren was the son of the Chen family patriarch and was five years older than Wang Changsheng.

"Senior Wang, you flatter me. This junior is foolish and unworthy of such praise." Chen Xianren replied respectfully, not daring to show any slack.

To be honest, when he learned that Wang Changsheng had successfully established his foundation, he was unwilling to believe it. Both were sons of their respective patriarchs, and he had begun cultivating five years earlier than Wang Changsheng. Yet, Wang Changsheng had reached Foundation Establishment while he was still stuck in the Qi Refining stage. He had already seen Wang Changsheng earlier and wouldn't have wanted to greet him if Chen Changsheng hadn't approached.

Seeing Chen Xianren's deferential demeanor, Wang Changsheng nodded in satisfaction.

Chen Changsheng chatted briefly with Wang Changsheng, then excused himself and returned to his seat.

Not long after, a few deep "dong, dong, dong" sounds of a bell rang out. The gates of Yutian Palace closed, and the auction officially began.

A short, stout man dressed as a merchant walked onto the high platform. Judging by the strong spiritual pressure emanating from him, he was clearly a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

He cupped his fist at the cultivators present and said with a smile, "I am Chen Fu. Welcome, fellow Daoists, to this auction. The rules are the same as any other auction: the highest bidder wins. Without further ado, let the bidding begin."

He took out a two-foot-long blue brocade box from his storage bag. When he opened it, seven short, shimmering blue blades were revealed inside.

"A set of Blue Wind Blades, a spiritual artifact forged from Blue Wind Bamboo. Their power is comparable to a magic tool. The starting bid is two hundred spirit stones, with each subsequent bid not less than fifty spirit stones."

Qi Refining cultivators made up the majority of the auction attendees, and this set of magic tools attracted much interest from them. After several bids, it finally sold for six hundred fifty spirit stones.

Next, pills that enhance spiritual power, talismans, and spiritual beasts appeared on the auction stage, all fetching high prices. The atmosphere in the hall gradually grew livelier.

Wang Changsheng's purpose for this trip was to bid for Foundation Establishment spiritual items. He would not easily touch his forty thousand spirit stones before securing a Foundation Establishment spiritual item.

The Yutian Conference truly lived up to its reputation as the largest event in the cultivating world of Song State. Many excellent items appeared at the auction: complete sets of magic tools, second-tier pills, second-tier materials, second-tier demon cores, and so on. Wang Changsheng found himself very tempted but did not place any bids.

Wang Changge and the two others were greatly impressed by the sheer number of valuable items, their eyes wide with wonder.

After more than half an hour, the atmosphere in the hall reached a climax.

"Next, it's time for the highlight items of the auction. The first item is a second-tier mid-grade Talisman Soldier. Its flight speed is faster than a mid-grade flying magic tool, and it can be controlled with minimal spiritual power. The starting bid is five hundred spirit stones, with each subsequent bid not less than one hundred."

Chen Fu held a palm-sized golden paper crane in his hand and announced loudly.

Wang Changsheng was somewhat tempted. He didn't possess a flying magic tool, and traveling by road was time-consuming. His Green Scale Horse was only a first-tier mid-grade beast and not particularly fast.

Wang Changfeng was still waiting to establish his foundation with a spiritual item, so Wang Changsheng remained silent.