Chapter 125: Pill Formula
On the day of the auction, the center of Nanhang City was packed with people.
At the imposing entrance of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, there was a constant stream of traffic, and Cultivators of varying strengths, dressed in all sorts of attire, surged inside like they were attending a market fair.
There were scions of aristocratic families in brocade robes surrounded by attendants, Sect Disciples with fierce auras and sharp gazes, and Loose Cultivator Guest Elders like Fang Hao who were dressed plainly and traveled alone.
Fang Hao changed into an inconspicuous grey cloth robe, restrained his cultivation aura to around the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, mingled with the crowd, paid a hefty deposit, received a number plate for a regular seat, and walked into the auction hall.
Good heavens, the interior was shockingly spacious, with two levels that could accommodate over a thousand people.
The ground floor was for regular seating, which was already more than half filled with a sea of people.
The upper level consisted of private boxes separated by Formations, with beaded curtains hanging down that obscured the people inside, but one could guess with their toes that those sitting inside were either wealthy or noble, either Sect Elders or heads of aristocratic families.
Fang Hao found his seat, sat down in a corner at the back of the ground floor, and remained completely inconspicuous.
He looked around and inwardly clicked his tongue in surprise.
This scene was much grander than the auction in Black Rock City, and there were many more experts present; he could vaguely sense several auras of Golden Core Cultivators alone.
"Damn it, the competition is bound to be fierce," Fang Hao muttered to himself, touching the Spirit Stone card in his pocket, feeling a bit lacking in confidence.
After waiting for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the hall gradually quieted down.
An old man wearing brocade robes, with a glowing complexion and cultivation at the Early Golden Core Stage, walked onto the central high platform, cleared his throat, and his resounding voice spread throughout the entire venue:
"Welcome, Fellow Daoists, to our Nanhang Spirit Treasure Pavilion’s sexagenary auction gala! This old man is Auctioneer Qian Buduo, and I am honored to be your auctioneer for this event. I trust everyone knows the rules: the highest bidder wins, and if you lack sufficient Spirit Stones, you may use items of equal value as collateral. Without further ado, let us begin with the first auction item!"
The auction officially began.
The initial auction items were merely appetizers.
Things like five-hundred-year-old Red Essence Ginseng, High Grade Spiritual Artifact Flying Swords, and Profound Rank Medium Grade Cultivation Technique Jade Slips.
The competition was quite lively, and prices climbed steadily, but after taking a few glances, Fang Hao lost interest.
These items were of little use to him right now, so it wasn’t worth wasting Spirit Stones on them.
He patiently closed his eyes to rest, waiting for the item he was longing for.
Item after item passed, and the atmosphere grew increasingly heated.
When a "Black Tortoise Shield," capable of withstanding a full-force blow from an Early Golden Core Stage Cultivator, was sold for a high price of one million, the entire venue erupted in exclamations.
When a "Pill Condensing Talisman," which could increase the success rate of Core Formation by thirty percent, was snapped up for the astronomical price of two million by someone in a second-floor private box, it caused even more of a stir.
Fang Hao looked at that Pill Condensing Talisman with some envy, but mostly with helplessness.
This item was good, but for someone with his Seven Spiritual Roots, the effect would likely be halved, making the cost-effectiveness too low.
He still had to rely on the forming golden core.
Finally, after auctioning off a set of "Mother-Son Chain Swords" with decent power, Auctioneer Qian Buduo raised his volume, a mysterious smile on his face:
"The next item is quite special. It is a Pill Formula!"
Hearing this, Fang Hao abruptly opened his eyes, his heart beating a little faster involuntarily.
It was here!
Auctioneer Qian Buduo signaled for a maid to bring up a jade tray, on which lay a Jade Slip that looked aged and had slightly damaged edges.
"This is the refining Pill Formula for the Fourth Rank Top Grade Spirit Pill—the forming golden core!" Auctioneer Qian Buduo announced loudly.
A low uproar immediately broke out below the stage!
The forming golden core! Something many Foundation Establishment Cultivators dreamed of!
Although it was only a Pill Formula and not the finished Medicinal Pill, it was enough to attract attention!
But Auctioneer Qian Buduo’s next words were like a bucket of cold water: "However, I must clarify that this Pill Formula is not complete; it is a remnant formula! According to our appraisal, the precise proportions of some auxiliary medicinal herbs are missing, as well as several key details regarding fire control. Only the main ingredients are complete, and the refining concept is still relatively clear."
He paused, looked around the venue, and seeing disappointment or hesitation on many faces, continued: "Therefore, the starting price for this Pill Formula is set at 800,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones! Each bid must be at least 50,000! Let the bidding begin!"
As his voice fell, a strange silence descended upon the venue.
The hall, which had just been bustling with activity, suddenly went cold.
Many people whispered to each other, discussing in low voices.
"A remnant formula? And for something as high-difficulty as the forming golden core? Who would dare to take this?"
"Exactly, for a Fourth Rank Top Grade Medicinal Pill, a tiny difference can lead to a huge error. With key steps missing, who would dare to refine it? If the refinement fails, the loss would be huge!"
"Buying a piece of waste paper for 800,000? Has the Spirit Treasure Pavilion gone crazy for money?"
"It’s probably just junk dug out from some ruins, brought here to trick people."
The discussions were mostly pessimistic and mocking.
It was no wonder; the refining of the forming golden core was extremely complex and placed extremely high demands on the alchemist.
A remnant Pill Formula carried too much risk; it was highly likely one would invest heavily only to end up with nothing.
For powerful factions, they had their own channels to obtain complete Pill Formulas; for Loose Cultivators or small families, they could not afford this risk.
Therefore, despite the fame of the forming golden core, this remnant formula went ignored for the moment.
Auctioneer Qian Buduo stood on the stage, his smile a bit stiff, repeating several times, "800,000, is there any Fellow Daoist willing to bid?", but there was still no response from below.
It looked like it was about to fail to sell.
Fang Hao sat in the corner, his palms sweating a little.
No one competing? This... this was simply a pie falling from the sky!
Although he didn’t have many Spirit Stones, with a starting price of 800,000, if no one else competed, he would likely be able to secure it at the base price or slightly higher!
But he also knew clearly in his heart that this remnant formula carried huge risks.
Yet for him, this was his only hope at the moment!
He couldn’t access a complete Pill Formula at all, so no matter how bad this remnant formula was, it was still a direction!
It was better than fumbling in the dark!
He had the chaos pill cauldron and an advantage in controlling the fire, so he might be able to figure it out!
He would risk it!
Seeing that Auctioneer Qian Buduo was about to declare it unsold, Fang Hao took a deep breath, raised his number plate, and spoke in as calm a voice as possible: "800,000."
Swish! In an instant, the eyes of the entire venue were fixed on this inconspicuous Cultivator in a grey robe sitting in the corner.
There was surprise, curiosity, and mostly, looks as if they were watching a fool.
"Is there really a sucker?"
"Buying a piece of waste paper for 800,000, what is this person thinking?"
"Probably some Loose Cultivator who has gone crazy wanting to reach Core Formation, grasping at straws."
Even Auctioneer Qian Buduo on stage was stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting anyone to actually bid, but he reacted quickly and immediately smiled: "Good! This Fellow Daoist bids 800,000! Is there any higher bid? 800,000 for the first time!"
He called out three times, but there was dead silence below, with no one following up at all.
"800,000 for the third time! Sold! Congratulations to this Fellow Daoist for obtaining the remnant formula for the forming golden core!" Auctioneer Qian Buduo’s gavel fell much faster than usual, as if afraid Fang Hao would change his mind.
A heavy weight lifted from Fang Hao’s heart, and he let out a long sigh of relief.
Although it was unpleasant to be looked at as a fool by so many people, being able to secure this Pill Formula for 800,000 was a huge bargain!
After settling the payment with Spirit Stones and getting his hands on the ancient-looking Jade Slip, Fang Hao carefully probed it with his Divine Sense. After confirming it was correct, he treasured it and stored it in the deepest part of his storage ring.
Having obtained his target, Fang Hao was in a great mood, and he basically just watched the rest of the auction as a spectator.
Things like ancient treasure fragments, rare beast eggs, Earth Rank Cultivation Techniques... the competition was incredibly fierce, with prices soaring to millions or even tens of millions, leaving him dazzled and clicking his tongue in surprise.
These items were good, but either he couldn’t afford them, or they were of little use to him, so he just settled into being an audience member.
Until the auction ended, Fang Hao did not make any more bids.
He left the Spirit Treasure Pavilion with the crowd, feeling satisfied.
Returning to the inn, he closed the door, set up a Restriction, and impatiently took out the Jade Slip, sinking his Divine Sense into it.
Sure enough, the refining method for the forming golden core recorded inside was profound and complex; the main ingredients required seven Fourth Rank Spiritual Plants with completely different attributes, and the refining steps were cumbersome, placing extremely high demands on Divine Sense and fire control.
And the missing parts were mainly concentrated on the dosages of several auxiliary medicinal herbs and the subtle temperature changes at several key nodes.
"It really is severely incomplete..." Fang Hao frowned, but his eyes became even more determined. "However, the main ingredients and the core concept are all there. That is enough! I will figure out the rest myself."
He put away the Jade Slip and looked toward the south.
Hundred Flowers City was a distribution center for medicinal herbs in the Southern Frontier; once he got there, he might be able to gather all the main ingredients.
As for the missing parts... he would just have to rely on the chaos pill cauldron and constant trial and error.
The road ahead was difficult, but he had finally seen a glimmer of hope.
This trip to Nanhang was worth it.
