The Hidden Auction and the Longevity Pill

The auction was scheduled for the evening. The two of them disguised themselves before leaving the imperial residence.

Following Qin Jiu through narrow alleys, they arrived at a secluded tavern. Surrounded only by these winding paths, it was a place no one would expect to find such an establishment.

Yet, it appeared to be bustling with patrons. Lin Tian subtly surveyed the crowd, noticing several cultivators among them. The strongest had reached the Foundation Establishment stage, while even the weakest possessed a cultivation of the fifth layer of Qi Refinement.

“Oh! The Prince honors us with his presence!”

As soon as they entered, Qin Jiu was recognized. The proprietress of the establishment rushed forward to greet him.

Draped in a black robe, with a bamboo hat and veil concealing his face, Lin Tian followed behind the Prince. To any onlooker, he looked like a hired bodyguard.

The Prince presented an invitation. The proprietress hastily accepted it, chuckling, “The auction will begin in a while. Please, have a seat first. I’ll have someone prepare anything you wish to eat.”

“There’s no need. Two cups of tea will suffice.”

The proprietress acknowledged his request and brought the tea. Qin Jiu smiled, inviting Lin Tian to sit down.

“Since Miss Luo is attending the auction, is there anything in particular you urgently need?” Qin Jiu inquired.

“Cultivation-enhancing pills. I believe no cultivator would ever have enough of those,” Lin Tian replied.

“Ah… have all the pills I gave you last time been used up already?” He had spent years collecting them, only for Lin Tian to consume them in less than half a year.

“Thanks to Brother Qin’s generosity, my cultivation has advanced considerably.”

By this point, the two had grown quite familiar with each other, and Lin Tian had come to regard him as a friend.

Before long, the tavern became increasingly crowded. The proprietress soon returned to announce the start of the auction.

Lin Tian followed Qin Jiu into a hidden passage. Descending a flight of stairs, they discovered a spacious underground chamber concealed within! It was truly a hidden wonder.

Rows of tables and chairs lined the left side, while the auction display stage and backrooms occupied the right. Approximately twenty people had already taken their seats, indicating that the tavern was not the only entrance to this venue; other access points existed.

Among those present were both cultivators and mortals, but all had their faces obscured. This precaution was to prevent extortion or robbery after the auction concluded.

They found an empty, less crowded area and settled down. Qin Jiu took the seat next to him.

“Miss Yingkong, do you carry any herbs? This scent is rather peculiar,” Qin Jiu asked, turning his head to sniff.

“Oh, that’s the scent of the toxin cleansing process. Prolonged exposure might cause poisoning. Mild symptoms include dizziness and nausea, while severe cases can lead to coma and death,” Lin Tian explained matter-of-factly.

Hearing this, Qin Jiu was startled. He promptly slid his seat further away.

****

Soon after, over thirty people had gathered. A middle-aged man stepped onto the display stage, exuding a powerful, unfathomable spiritual energy that made it impossible to discern his true cultivation.

“This person is the organizer. I hear his cultivation is extremely high,” Qin Jiu explained to him.

Lin Tian nodded, understanding that a less powerful cultivator would never be able to command such a presence. Seeing that most attendees had arrived, the man on the stage cleared his throat, and the room fell silent.

“The hour is upon us. This auction is not particularly large in scale. I will now present a few items for you to bid on. If your spirit stones are insufficient, other items can be offered as payment.”

The middle-aged man clapped his hands. A veiled woman reverently carried a peculiar sword blade on both hands, gently placing it on the display stand.

“This is a Main-Auxiliary Sword, a top-grade magical artifact. Holding the main sword allows one to control its auxiliary blades for attack… Words alone cannot convey its function, so I shall demonstrate it for you.”

The middle-aged man picked up the Main-Auxiliary Sword and gently infused it with spiritual energy. The sword body vibrated subtly, as if alive. With a flick of his wrist, seven additional blades detached from the main sword, hovering in the air. The middle-aged man then slashed towards the ground with the main blade, and the seven auxiliary blades simultaneously pierced the earth around it!

“The advantage of this sword lies in its comprehensive attack range. The auxiliary blades can launch attacks from all sides, leaving the enemy with no defense.”

He retrieved the Main-Auxiliary Sword, and the seven blades seamlessly reinserted themselves into the main sword.

“This artifact is of a high grade, and it shows minimal wear. The starting bid is one hundred spirit stones, with each subsequent bid not less than ten spirit stones.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than a veiled individual in the seating area asked, “Does this sword have any drawbacks?”

Those who were about to call out bids held their tongues. Caution was indeed necessary when making a purchase.

“Naturally, it has its drawbacks. It consumes a considerable amount of spiritual energy, making it suitable for cultivators at the seventh layer of Qi Refinement or higher.”

The crowd was already sparse, and mortals would naturally not purchase cultivators’ magical artifacts. This one drawback further dissuaded those with lower cultivation levels. If that person hadn’t asked for clarification, many might have been swindled.

“I offer one hundred and ten spirit stones!” someone in the hall finally called out.

“I bid one hundred and twenty!”

****

“Miss Yingkong, you don’t seem to have many suitable magical artifacts, do you? Are you not considering this one?” Qin Jiu asked.

Lin Tian did possess a few artifacts: a shield that could fly and a flying disc. However, he had almost no close-combat weapons, meaning his immense strength couldn’t be fully utilized.

“Let’s wait and see…”

The bidding continued without pause, rising from one hundred to three hundred spirit stones! At this point, only two individuals were still bidding, increasing the price by ten spirit stones each time.

Lin Tian currently had over seven hundred spirit stones. If he bought this weapon, he wouldn’t have much money left for future transactions. Ultimately, he did not place a bid. The Main-Auxiliary Sword was sold for three hundred and ninety spirit stones.

****

“The second item is the Creation Pill for the Qi Refinement stage. After consumption, it can increase one’s cultivation by at least one layer, and up to three layers. This depends on your luck and talent.”

“I know that most of you present are Qi Refinement cultivators, and this pill is exceptionally precious. It is not for sale with spirit stones, but requires a 1,000-year-old spiritual herb in exchange.”

“A 1,000-year-old spiritual herb?”

Many cultivators were ready to bid, but upon hearing the requirement, they all hesitated.

“Miss Yingkong, your family runs a medicine shop, correct? Are you not planning to make an offer?” Qin Jiu inquired.

“I do have many spiritual herbs, but the oldest are only a few hundred years old. I have yet to encounter a 1,000-year-old spiritual herb,” Lin Tian said.

Though the Creation Pill was excellent, without anything to exchange for it, he could only watch.

The middle-aged man waited for a moment. Seeing no one speak up, he set the Creation Pill aside.

“It seems no one possesses a 1,000-year-old spiritual herb. In that case, we won’t waste any more time. This pill will remain here, and you may trade for it anytime you acquire such an herb.”

The people below grew restless. A youth spoke up, asking, “Senior, how about I offer several hundred-year-old spiritual herbs in exchange?”

“No. The medicinal age must be a full 1,000 years. Nothing else will be accepted,” the middle-aged man flatly refused, crushing their hopes.

“This auction also features something of interest to mortals: the Longevity Pill! It can extend one’s lifespan by thirty years.”

The veiled woman presented an exquisite box containing a single pill.

“As you know, refining Longevity Pills requires extremely rare medicinal ingredients. The bidding price starts at two hundred spirit stones! Each increment must not be less than twenty.”

Many below were tempted. Lin Tian was seeing this type of pill for the first time—it could actually increase lifespan! If it were in his previous world, people would undoubtedly fight tooth and nail for it.

This pill held an incredibly strong allure for mortals. Consuming just one could grant half a lifetime more. Who wouldn’t be tempted? For cultivators, it was also useful, but not worth spending too many spirit stones. Merely advancing one layer of cultivation could increase their lifespan by a decade or so, making cultivation-enhancing pills a more cost-effective choice.

It was said that Foundation Establishment cultivators could live for five hundred years, which sounded exaggerated, but it was common knowledge in this world.

The competition below was fierce, and in a short while, the price soared to five hundred spirit stones! All the competitors present were mortals, making it hard to imagine where they acquired so many spirit stones.

“I offer six hundred spirit stones!”

Just as the bidding was nearing its end, Qin Jiu spoke up. The room instantly fell silent. Though reluctant, no one dared to bid further.

“If there are no more bids, this Longevity Pill goes to this young friend.”

“You may collect the spirit stones from my imperial residence.”

Qin Jiu’s words immediately exposed his identity, but he showed no fear.

“Brother Qin, as a mere mortal, where do you acquire so many spirit stones?” Lin Tian asked, perplexed.

“Heh heh, Miss Luo, how do you think I obtained those pills? Some immortals specifically exchange spirit stones for silver. In short, I’ve collected many spirit stones through various channels. An average cultivator isn’t as wealthy as I, a mortal.”

A trace of pride flickered across Qin Jiu’s face as he scanned the people present.

“The mortals participating here are all people of no simple background; they are either officials or nobles.”