The Fortune Creation Pill

“My lady, there’s no problem with your magic weapon, is there?”

No sooner had the words left the speaker’s lips than the grenade exploded with a deafening roar! The shockwave slammed into the formation wall, only to rebound with equal force. A violent tremor ran through the ground, so profound that even the tavern above distinctly felt its impact.

The sheer power was palpable even through the protective formation. The array wall flickered erratically, dimming and brightening with each impact. Its destructive force, it was clear, far surpassed what Lin Tian had described.

The middle-aged man was torn between shock and elation. He swiftly deactivated the formation, revealing a crater a full zhang deep at the epicenter of the blast! Everyone present drew a sharp, collective breath.

“Young lady, I’ll buy all of these magic weapons,” the middle-aged man declared, his voice urgent.

“Senior, that wouldn’t be appropriate. This is an auction. Everyone present should have a chance to bid.”

Having witnessed the immense power, Lin Tian was not foolish enough to sell directly to a Foundation Establishment cultivator. The man had already promised to buy one at the highest auction price, so naturally, the more expensive the bidding went, the better.

“I’m in need of some spirit stones lately,” Lin Tian announced to the audience. “Each grenade has a starting bid of five hundred, with increments of no less than fifty.”

****

The crowd erupted into a flurry of discussion.

“That’s too expensive…”

“The weapon is incredibly powerful; it’s certainly worth the price. Didn’t you hear her say it could threaten Core Formation stage cultivators? This is actually a bargain.”

“I bid five hundred and fifty!”

“I bid six hundred spirit stones!” Qin Jiu also joined the bidding.

“This is a trump card for saving one’s life! I bid seven hundred spirit stones!”

****

Despite the hefty price, bids came in wave after wave. The middle-aged man, however, remained unhurried. These grenades would unleash even greater power in his hands; he had to acquire them, no matter the cost.

As the price soared, breaking past a thousand spirit stones, Qin Jiu ultimately withdrew from the competition. The Princesses of a Fallen Nation, who had been sold for fifty spirit stones earlier, watched this scene with unreadable expressions.

The bidding voices gradually subsided. It was then that the Foundation Establishment man finally made his move.

“One thousand two hundred spirit stones!”

Some still intended to bid, but his glare silenced them instantly. A Foundation Establishment cultivator’s spiritual energy was profoundly potent, and when fully unleashed, it was easily ten times stronger than that of a peak Qi Refinement cultivator!

No one dared to bid again. Lin Tian, too, was content. Any higher, and complications might arise; perhaps this Foundation Establishment cultivator would disregard all decorum and simply seize them.

“Three grenades—they are yours, Senior.” Lin Tian gestured, tossing them to him.

Selling just three grenades yielded three thousand six hundred spirit stones, an incredibly profitable venture. There was a reason for only selling four: rarity created value. Combined with the one used for the explosive demonstration, the remaining three grenades became even more precious, driving up their auction price significantly.

According to the earlier promise, the middle-aged man was to pay him for four grenades, amounting to four thousand eight hundred spirit stones!

“Take it!”

The middle-aged man tossed a bag of spirit stones to Lin Tian. He weighed it, finding it surprisingly light. Upon opening it, his expression subtly shifted.

“Senior, why are there only forty-eight spirit stones?” Lin Tian frowned. If this person intended to renege on their debt by relying on their higher cultivation, he wouldn’t hesitate to initiate a fight.

“Haha, little girl, what I gave you are mid-grade spirit stones. You’ll know once you sense the spiritual energy contained within them.”

Spirit stones are categorized? Lin Tian clutched a spirit stone in his palm. The abundant spiritual energy invigorated him. This spiritual power was at least a hundred times that of a low-grade spirit stone!

“Please forgive my limited knowledge; I’ve made a fool of myself,” Lin Tian admitted, a hint of shame in his tone. These mid-grade spirit stones were clearly superior to their low-grade counterparts, capable of accelerating spiritual energy recovery during battle. A single mid-grade spirit stone was equivalent to one hundred low-grade spirit stones and was rarely used for transactions, making them difficult to acquire. He had certainly gained an advantage, perhaps as a return gesture from the middle-aged man for interrupting the bidding earlier.

Lin Tian returned to the audience seats. Qin Jiu looked at him with envy. “Congratulations, Miss Luo! You’ve become quite the rich young lady this time! Be careful not to attract unwanted attention from villains.”

****

“Master, please buy the pill currently on stage for me,” Jiaofeng messaged Lin Tian.

On the stage stood a burly man, a single pill displayed before him.

“One Spirit Cultivation Pill, capable of granting sentience to demonic beasts or enhancing their intelligence. Starting bid: fifty spirit stones.”

“I bid eighty spirit stones,” Lin Tian declared, and to his surprise, no one contested the bid.

This wasn’t for any other reason than that everyone present was a Qi Refinement cultivator, and none of them kept spirit pets. Rogue cultivators were fortunate enough to support themselves, let alone a pet. He acquired the Spirit Cultivation Pill with ease. After the transaction, he simply tossed it into the spirit beast bag for Jiaofeng.

“Junior Sister Yingkong also keeps a spirit pet?” Qin Jiu seemed somewhat surprised.

“Just a low-tier demonic beast I picked up; it has no combat ability,” he casually brushed the Prince off. Jiaofeng was an extremely rare demonic beast, and revealing its existence would only invite trouble.

****

Lin Tian bought nothing else during the rest of the auction. By the time it concluded, night had fallen deep.

****

“Miss Luo, you should return to your residence first. I still have some matters to attend to.”

“Oh? Then, Brother Qin, please be careful alone.”

The two parted ways at the hotel entrance. Qin Jiu ducked into another alley, while Lin Tian made his way back along the original path under the moonlight. In the dark alley, someone suddenly leaped out behind him.

“Fellow Daoist?”

A woman’s voice called out to him. Turning around, he saw it was the same person who had sold him the Purple Gold Iron. The woman’s face was also obscured, but her voice was clear and pleasant.

“What is it?” Lin Tian asked, a hint of wariness in his tone. With so many spirit stones on him, could he already have been targeted so quickly?

“There’s no need to be nervous, Fellow Daoist.” The woman untied her veil and removed her hat, revealing a delicate, youthful face framed by long black hair that fell to her waist. “I have something here that I believe will definitely interest you.”

The woman retrieved a wooden box from her storage bag and gently opened it, revealing just a corner. A startling medicinal aroma instantly wafted out. She quickly closed it again, smiling as she said, “This is a Fortune Creation Pill for Qi Refinement cultivators, precisely like the one on the auction stage. It’s a bit risky for me to sell it myself, so I let the organizers handle the sale.”

“Why are you looking for me, Fellow Daoist? I don’t have any thousand-year spirit herbs to trade,” Lin Tian frowned.

“No need for thousand-year spirit herbs. If you help me with a favor, this Fortune Creation Pill will be yours.”

“Tell me about it.”

If it wasn’t too difficult, Lin Tian was willing to try. This Fortune Creation Pill could save him at least a year of arduous cultivation.

The woman waved her hand, setting up a sound-insulating barrier before speaking with ease. “I discovered a treasure trove near Mount Luo, but it’s protected by a restrictive formation. I can’t break through it alone, so I’d like to ask for your assistance. If any treasures emerge from within, you’ll have a share.”

Lin Tian pondered for a moment, then nodded. “Why seek me specifically? There are many cultivators with higher cultivation than mine.”

“You jest, Fellow Daoist. If I were to find a powerful cultivator, I would surely be at a disadvantage after the formation is broken. Your cultivation and mine are comparable, making you the most suitable. And of course, there’s the most important point: your voice is lovely!”

“Uh…” Lin Tian was utterly bewildered. “Does my voice help with your matter?”

The woman chuckled. “Since you were willing to sell such powerful magic weapons, you must possess many other skills. Therefore, you are the most suitable for breaking the formation. Will you consider it?”

“No problem, but after I break the formation, you must give me the pill,” Lin Tian agreed, then stated his condition.

“Certainly, but you must allow me to see your face, Fellow Daoist.”

Though he didn’t understand why, Lin Tian still took off his bamboo hat, revealing a cascade of snow-white hair.

“As charming as I expected… My name is Qian Yuling. How should I address you?” The woman smiled contentedly, radiating an endearing charm.

“Luo Yingkong.”

“So it’s Fellow Daoist Luo. Well, let’s not chat any longer. I’ll see you at the city gate in three days.”

With that, the woman leaped onto the rooftop and vanished from sight.