Chapter 457: Chapter 18: Spending Ten Million Spirit Stones to Bid for the Divinity Transformation Flower (Part 2)
The second decree was destined to have no result.
After all, no one would expect that the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Sect only had Lin Chen.
As long as Lin Chen does not show up under the identity of the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Sect, those people will never find out.
As for the first decree, it indeed had some effectiveness.
Especially with Tunnel City being occupied by the Nether Realm, several tens of thousands of cultivators perished.
Over a hundred thousand cultivators ended up dead due to being implicated by the war.
These cultivators all practiced the Martial Arts Breathing Technique.
But this only slowed down the spread of the Martial Arts Breathing Technique.
Some of the cultivators practicing the Martial Arts Breathing Technique managed to escape Tunnel City.
They fled to places like Celestial Dao City, Wenda City, and the Western Domain of Qing State.
Having received the prohibition, they dared not openly practice this technique.
But the issuance of the prohibition made some cultivators who had never practiced this technique yearn for it immensely.
Things that are prohibited must be good.
Especially when it comes to cultivation techniques.
Hence, Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators began secretly offering rewards for the cultivation technique, with prices reaching over three hundred thousand Spirit Stones at one point.
Wealth moves the heart.
Three hundred thousand Spirit Stones could buy a permanent residence permit for Wenda City.
Consequently, more cultivators secretly sold the Martial Arts Breathing Technique, earning substantial profits.
As they saw others making money, those who practiced this technique couldn’t resist, so they also started selling secretly.
The Martial Arts Breathing Technique spread further, with another few hundreds of thousands of cultivators learning the technique within a short span of two months.
...
Lin Chen learned about this matter only two months later.
"Prohibiting the Breathing Technique, only to have the opposite effect?"
Lin Chen couldn’t help but laugh.
It reminded him of a small anecdote within the Cultivation Realm.
Once, in the south of Yanlai Country, there existed a mortal kingdom.
This country, merely a small nation, had a population of several million people.
The old emperor wasn’t exactly foolish, yet he was incompetent.
The citizens lived arduously, leading to the rise of many drunkards, who used alcohol to ease fatigue.
After the old emperor passed away, the young emperor ascended the throne.
Determined to revitalize the nation, his first decree was a nationwide prohibition on alcohol.
Anyone caught drinking would face three years in prison, while those selling alcohol would face execution.
Initially, in the first few months, the people naturally dared not continue drinking, and the effect was substantial.
But gradually, these mortals couldn’t resist.
The habit formed over decades and centuries made alcohol an integral part of the lives of the mortals in this nation.
It became a necessity.
Therefore, an increasing number of underground markets began selling alcohol, and the prices were steeper than before!
Even so, the citizens had no choice but to buy.
When the young emperor learned of this, he flew into a rage, imprisoning some of the citizens who purchased alcohol and executing a batch of black market sellers.
But it was all futile!
On one hand, the citizens began to flee the country.
On the other, the citizens and merchants united in protest, demanding the freedom to drink.
The young emperor dispatched troops to suppress the protests once more.
The outcome...
The army soldiers confiscated so much alcohol that they drank to excess and failed to suppress the protests.
The eventual result was, naturally, the repeal of the alcohol prohibition.
Although this alcohol prohibition anecdote differs from the Martial Arts Breathing Technique, in essence, they are the same, both becoming necessities.
They are good things needed by cultivators and mortals.
Blocking is not as good as draining away; it can’t be blocked anymore.
"The Martial Arts Breathing Technique is still spreading; currently, many Grand Martial Masters have appeared in Wenda City..."
Lin Chen did not need to worry about this.
Within a few years, perhaps nothing would be obvious.
But after another decade, martial artists at the Martial Spirit and Martial Venerable levels might emerge among mortals.
By then, how would they fear those Demonic Cultivators?
Lin Chen fiddled with the communication device in his hand, which recorded the achievements of the Martial Arts Puppets over the past two months.
Six hundred Martial Arts Puppets made their move together.
They had reaped over seven thousand Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators and over thirteen hundred Core Formation Demon Cultivators.
Even severely injured two Nascent Soul cultivators...
Of course, the Martial Arts Puppets suffered a considerable amount of damage as well, nearly two hundred were destroyed.
"The Nether Realm has already secretly sought to kill the Martial Arts Puppets... Heh, but is it useful?"
Lin Chen shook his head; he could produce as many Martial Arts Puppets as he desired.
Lin Chen put away the communication device, but soon a new jade scroll transmitted a message.
Inside the jade scroll, only one line: Divinity Transformation Flower appeared at Wenda auction.
Upon seeing this line of message, a keen glow appeared in Lin Chen’s eyes.
"Finally, it has appeared..."
The Divinity Transformation Flower is the main material for refining the Divinity Transformation Pill.
For more than half a year since arriving in Qing State, Lin Chen has been collecting materials for refining the Divinity Transformation Pill and the Soul Protection Pill.
This concerns his breakthrough to Divinity Transformation.
Eventually, Lin Chen received this intelligence.
"This concerns Divinity Transformation; these materials are just too rare..."
"The competition this time is likely to be intense, but I must win!"
...
The next day, Wenda auction.
After disguising himself, Lin Chen smoothly entered the VIP box.
The auction proceeded smoothly, selling various pills and materials.
Lin Chen occasionally made his move, spending several million Spirit Stones to buy a few rare items.
Until the end of the auction.
On the auction platform, the auctioneer solemnly took out a jade box.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the item for this auction. It is a three-thousand-year-old Divinity Transformation Flower that has reached its medicinal age."
"This Divinity Transformation Flower was cultivated by True Man Suqiu from Wenda Sect, a noteworthy value."
"Starting bid, three million Spirit Stones, with each raise not less than a hundred thousand Spirit Stones!"
As the auctioneer’s voice fell, the venue erupted with shouts.
"Three and a half million Spirit Stones!" A voice came from a certain box.
"Four million Spirit Stones! I kindly ask all fellow Daoists to give my True Man Wanrong a face! Your gratitude will be immense..."
A cool female voice came from a certain box.
In the venue, many Golden Core cultivators instantly became interested.
"It’s Fairy Wanrong! It’s been at least a hundred years since Fairy Wanrong last showed herself, hasn’t it?"
"Is it possible to catch a glimpse of Fairy Wanrong’s beauty this time?"
Among the crowd, some cultivators were visibly excited.
Lin Chen simply sat quietly inside his box.
The intelligence on Fairy Wanrong flashed through his mind.
True Man Wanrong, a Nascent Soul cultivator famed for over four hundred years.
A hundred years ago, she was already at the late Nascent Soul stage, and now she should be a Nascent Soul Perfect cultivator.
This loose cultivator is exceedingly beautiful and is a Celestial Spirit Root cultivator. Back then, she attracted countless cultivators in pursuit.
But she rejected them all, earning considerable fame.
This auction is of very high stature, meaning attendees are at least Golden Core cultivators.
Even a Fake Pill Realm participant could not attend.
Several dozen Nascent Soul cultivators are inside their respective boxes.
"True Man Wanrong... However, four million Spirit Stones can’t acquire this Divinity Transformation Flower..."
Lin Chen shook his head.
When it comes to the Great Path, who cares whether you’re a fairy?
Even harsh measures might not be impossible.
Indeed, the four million Spirit Stones price was quickly surpassed.
It climbed steadily, reaching five million, six million Spirit Stones!
Lin Chen did not rush to make his move but waited quietly.
Until the price rose to seven and a half million Spirit Stones.
The number of competing cultivators dwindled.
Only two or three Nascent Soul True Men persisted in the bidding.
Currently, those bidding are all at the late Nascent Soul stage, possibly even Nascent Soul Perfect Cultivators.
At this point, Lin Chen made his move, calmly offering a price.
"Ten million Spirit Stones."
As soon as this price came out, the other Nascent Soul True Men in the box were stunned.
Supremely, the auctioneer was also stunned.
This Divinity Transformation Flower’s value is actually around nine million Spirit Stones.
Ten million Spirit Stones just for one material of the Divinity Transformation Pill.
Not even guaranteed to be successfully refined...
Even a Nascent Soul True Man wouldn’t be willing.
In the end, Lin Chen successfully acquired this Divinity Transformation Flower.
After winning the auction, Lin Chen paid the Spirit Stones and quickly left, shaking off those trailing behind.
Not until inside a safe house buried a thousand miles underground did Lin Chen finally open the jade box.
Looking at the delicate purple flower in his hand, Lin Chen clicked his tongue.
"It’s truly not easy! Collecting just this one Divinity Transformation Flower cost me so much time and effort..."
Ten million Spirit Stones, Lin Chen did not lament.
If he wanted to, he could make that by killing a batch of Demonic Cultivators.
But the key is, this thing is priced but not sold, too difficult to buy.
"At this rate, a regular Divinity Transformation Pill ought to cost at least thirty million Spirit Stones..."
Lin Chen shook his head; no one would sell a Divinity Transformation Pill.
"Nonetheless, given the circumstances, collecting all materials for the Divinity Transformation Pill and Soul Protection Pill is too arduous..."
"Looks like I’ll have to think of other ways."
Lin Chen pondered thoughtfully.
