147: Chapter 147 Auction

After leaving Jubao Pavilion, Li Qing did not linger on the main street. He specifically took a detour through several alleys, changed his appearance, and returned to the Immortal Cave he had rented.

He set up a simple alert Formation to block out all external disturbances and completely calmed his mind, intending to use these three days to diligently Cultivate the Purple Thunder Body Refining Art.

The Body Refining Room had been upgraded to level four. The absorption speed of the medicinal bath increased by sixty percent, the pain was reduced by sixty percent, and there was an even greater chance of directly breaking through the Body Refining Bottleneck.

Now that his mind was calm, Li Qing entered the Body Refining Room of his Portable Cave Abode directly. Following the cultivation route of the Purple Thunder Body Refining Art, he circulated the Qi within his body, prepared the Body Refining medicinal bath according to the Cultivation Technique's recipe, and submerged himself entirely into the medicinal barrel.

The Formation patterns of the level-four Body Refining Room lit up instantly. A gentle yet thick medicinal power drilled into his Physical Body through his pores. The heart-wrenching pain of previous medicinal baths had surprisingly weakened by more than half, leaving only a faint tingling sensation, and the speed of medicinal absorption was absurdly fast.

He could clearly feel the medicinal power constantly scouring his muscles, bones, and flesh, with the strength of his Physical Body increasing bit by bit.

Li Qing dared not lose focus; he circulated the Cultivation Technique throughout the entire process, absorbing the medicinal power with all his might to temper his Physical Body.

When tired, he would meditate to regulate his breath, and after restoring his Qi, he would continue Body Refining. Since his cultivation had reached Foundation Establishment, Li Qing had achieved complete abstinence from grains, though he would still indulge in the pleasures of eating during his leisure time.

Over these three days, he barely closed his eyes, pouring all his heart and mind into Body Refining.

Thanks to the Heaven-Defying efficacy of the level-four Body Refining Room, over these three days, his cultivation of the Purple Thunder Body Refining Art steadily improved. His Physical Body became more refined, and both his strength and defensive power increased significantly. Although he had not yet completely broken through to the Late Stage of Body Refining, he was not far off; if he found another opportunity to go into seclusion, he would definitely be able to break through.

In the blink of an eye, the three days had passed, and the Jubao Pavilion's large-scale auction officially began.

It must be said that Manager Liu's efficiency was extremely high. As early as two days ago, he had spread the news that "Jubao Pavilion's auction will have a large number of foundation establishment pills" throughout Yingshui City, and even the surrounding towns had received the news.

For a time, all the Cultivators around the entire Yunling Mountain Range who had been stuck at the Perfection of Qi Refining for many years and were unable to break through went crazy!

Their cultivation was stuck at the Perfection of Qi Refining, and their Qi had long since accumulated to the peak; all they lacked was one foundation establishment pill. As long as they obtained a foundation establishment pill, they could achieve Foundation Establishment, become a Foundation Establishment Master respected by all, increase their Lifespan, and walk further on the path of immortality.

To these Cultivators, the foundation establishment pill was their life!

In order to bid for a foundation establishment pill, these experts at the Perfection of Qi Refining were selling off their family assets like madmen. Treasured Magical Artifacts, unused Cultivation Techniques, accumulated Spiritual Plants, and Yao Beast Materials—anything that could be exchanged for Spirit Stones was sold off just to gather enough Spirit Stones to go all out at the auction. Even if it meant losing everything, they had to secure a foundation establishment pill!

On the day of the auction, Yingshui City was completely boiling over. The streets were filled with Cultivators heading toward Jubao Pavilion. Looking around, more than half were Cultivators at the Perfection of Qi Refining with thick auras. Each one had an excited expression and eyes full of urgency, wishing they could immediately rush into the auction venue.

Jubao Pavilion was surrounded so tightly that not even water could trickle through. The guards at the entrance were three times more numerous than usual, standing at full alert to maintain order.

The main hall and the ordinary seats on the second floor were already packed full; even the aisles were crowded with people. The noise and discussions were deafening, and everyone was discussing the foundation establishment pills.

Li Qing timed his arrival perfectly. Still in his disguised, ordinary appearance, he held the gilded VIP token and strolled leisurely to Jubao Pavilion.

As soon as the guards at the entrance saw the VIP token in his hand, they immediately bowed and saluted with utmost respect. They pushed aside the crowd and led Li Qing through an exclusive passageway into the top-tier VIP seating on the third floor.

This VIP seat had an excellent view, allowing him to see the entire auction stage clearly. The seating was spacious, and it was laid out with Spirit Tea and Spirit Fruits, with dedicated personnel attending to him on the side—forming a stark contrast to the crowded and noisy scene downstairs.

Not long after Li Qing sat down, the auction officially began.

The host was an experienced old man. As soon as he took the stage, he spoke a few simple rules and immediately began presenting the auction items.

The earlier auction items were all ordinary objects: Low Grade Magical Artifacts, common Spiritual Plants, and incomplete Cultivation Techniques. The bidding was not intense. The Cultivators at the Perfection of Qi Refining downstairs were all absent-minded, staring eagerly at the auction stage. They had no interest in bidding for these small items and were all waiting for the finale—the foundation establishment pills.

Li Qing also watched nonchalantly, occasionally picking up the Spirit Tea to take a sip, waiting patiently.

Time passed bit by bit, and one item after another was brought onto the stage. Soon, the auction entered its final phase, reaching the most climactic segment.

The host's emotions also became excited. Raising his voice, he held an exquisite jade tray and slowly walked to the center of the auction stage, shouting to all the Cultivators present: "Fellow Daoists, coming up next is the most significant, core finale item of this auction, the one everyone has been looking forward to for so long—the foundation establishment pill!"

As soon as his words fell, the entire venue instantly exploded!

"It's here! Finally, it's the foundation establishment pill!"

"I've waited so long, just for this moment!"

"No matter how many Spirit Stones it costs, I must bid for one!"

The uproar almost blew the roof off Jubao Pavilion. Those Cultivators at the Perfection of Qi Refining stood up one by one, stretching their necks, eyes bloodshot as they stared at the jade tray in the host's hand, their breathing becoming rapid.

The host raised his hand to press down, waiting until the scene was slightly quieter before continuing: "There are a total of nineteen foundation establishment pills in this auction, excellent Spirit Medicine to assist in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage! Now, let the auction for the first one begin. The starting price is ten thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones, and each bid increment must not be less than one thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones! The bidding, begins!"

A starting price of ten thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones might be an astronomical price to others, but in the eyes of these Cultivators at the Perfection of Qi Refining who were desperate to break through, it was nothing at all!

As soon as the host finished speaking, someone immediately raised a sign, shouting with a thunderous voice: "Fifteen thousand! I bid fifteen thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones!"

"Twenty thousand! I bid twenty thousand!"

"Thirty thousand! Nobody compete with me!"

"Fifty thousand! I bid fifty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones!"

The bidding voices rose one after another, each wave higher than the last. The price soared crazily at a speed visible to the naked eye. In just a dozen breaths, it rushed from ten thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones to eighty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones, and there was no sign of stopping at all!

The Cultivators present were bloodshot with intensity. Spirit Stones they were usually reluctant to spend were now being thrown out as if they were worthless. Some Sect Disciples directly shouted out their Sects for backing, while some Loose Cultivators brought out their life's savings. Everyone refused to give in, determined to secure a foundation establishment pill.

Sitting in the VIP seat, Li Qing watched the skyrocketing prices and couldn't help but sigh in his heart; these Cultivators really gave their all for a Breakthrough.

"Ninety thousand!"

"Ninety-five thousand!"

"One hundred thousand! I bid one hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones!"

A Cultivator at the Perfection of Qi Refining wearing Sect attire suddenly stood up, gritted his teeth, and shouted the price of one hundred thousand, his eyes full of desperate determination.

He thought this price would suppress the entire venue, but to his surprise, in the next second, a Loose Cultivator in the corner roared directly: "One hundred and ten thousand! I sold all my belongings just for the foundation establishment pill. Who dares to compete with me!"

The scene completely descended into madness, and the bidding voices could not stop at all. Every increment caused an uproar throughout the venue. Everyone was infected by this intense bidding atmosphere, their gazes locked tightly on the Cultivators who were making bids.

Manager Liu stood to the side, watching this explosive scene with a smile on his face. From time to time, he looked toward Li Qing's VIP seat, his eyes full of admiration. This batch of foundation establishment pills had completely ignited the entire auction.

In the end, the first foundation establishment pill was auctioned off for one hundred and twenty-three thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones to that desperate Loose Cultivator!

After winning the bid, the Loose Cultivator slumped into his chair, his whole body soaked in sweat, yet his face was full of wild joy, muttering continuously, "I can break through, I can finally achieve Foundation Establishment".

The first foundation establishment pill selling for an astronomical price not only failed to make other Cultivators back down, but instead completely incited their competitive spirit.

Following that, the second, the third... the bidding became increasingly intense, and the Cultivators were fighting with bloodshot eyes, with the price higher each time!

Every time a foundation establishment pill was hammered down, the scene would erupt with thunderous cheers and sighs. Those who won were ecstatic, while those who didn't were filled with unwillingness, holding back their energy, waiting to bid for the next one.

A full nineteen foundation establishment pills were auctioned for over an hour. There was not a single moment of coldness throughout the entire process, and the atmosphere at the scene was fiery to the extreme.

When the last foundation establishment pill was auctioned off and the host struck the gavel, everyone in the venue let out a sigh of relief, followed by endless noise. Some were happy while others were sorrowful. Those who did not win the bid were dejected, their faces full of despair, and could only leave the venue with regret.

As for Li Qing, sitting in the VIP seat, his heart was already churning like the sea. Suppressing his excited mood, he remained calm on the surface.

The nineteen foundation establishment pills had a total transaction price reaching over two million four hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Deducting Jubao Pavilion's ten percent service fee, he had over two million in hand!

This was a solid, massive sum of money. In the past, Li Qing wouldn't have even dared to imagine it. The Spirit Stones he had spent previously to upgrade his Immortal Cave were not only all earned back, but he had also saved up a huge fortune. Subsequent building upgrades, purchasing Cultivation Materials, and deducing Cultivation Techniques all had their funding secured!

After the auction ended, Manager Liu rushed to the VIP seat immediately, his face full of respectful smiles. He held a heavy Storage Pouch in his hands and handed it to Li Qing with both hands: "Fellow Daoist, congratulations! The total transaction price for the nineteen foundation establishment pills is two million four hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones. After deducting the ten percent service fee, here are two million one hundred and sixty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Please count them; not a single cent is missing!"

Li Qing took the Storage Pouch and scanned it with his Divine Sense. The Spirit Stones were neatly stacked inside, and the count was exact. He nodded with satisfaction and put the Storage Pouch away.

"Fellow Daoist is indeed trustworthy. I trust the reputation of Jubao Pavilion."

"However, Fellow Daoist, please trouble yourself to exchange these two million Low-Grade Spirit Stones into Medium Grade Spirit Stones for me."

Manager Liu was stunned for a moment, then quickly smiled and responded: "No problem. In the future, if Fellow Daoist has more items to auction, feel free to come to Jubao Pavilion. I, Liu, will definitely arrange the best treatment for you!"

Li Qing nodded slightly and did not linger. Having received the Spirit Stones, he turned and left the VIP seat, blending into the departing crowd, and walked out of Jubao Pavilion without attracting any attention.

Being careful all the way and confirming that no one was following him, Li Qing returned to the rented Immortal Cave, opened the alert Formation, and then flashed into his own Portable Cave Abode.