Chapter 131: Hundred Flowers Auction
The scale of the Hundred Flowers Auction was far greater than the one in Nanhang.
The entrance to the Spirit Treasure Pavilion was bustling with activity, filled with streams of people and carriages, glowing with colorful light.
The beasts pulling the carriages were no ordinary Spirit Beasts; they were all exotic species with extraordinary Bloodline, snorting and looking majestic.
Cultivators in various gorgeous garments, surrounded by attendants, walked inside while chatting and laughing.
The air was filled with the scent of Spirit Stones and treasures.
Fang Hao blended into the crowd, holding the jade plaque he had exchanged for a one-million deposit, verified his identity, and walked into the auction hall.
Good heavens, the interior was even more resplendent, with three levels packed with people.
The ground floor had open seating, while the two levels above were full of private rooms. Behind the beaded curtains, figures moved about, exuding deep auras; one could tell at a glance they were no ordinary characters.
Following his usual habit, Fang Hao found an inconspicuous corner to sit down, keeping a low profile like a drop of water merging into the sea.
The auctioneer was a spirited old man with a white beard, whose cultivation was impressively at the Middle Golden Core Stage; his voice was resonant, and he possessed strong crowd-control skills.
Items were brought up one by one: fragments of ancient treasures, high-grade Cultivation Technique, Spirit Beast eggs, beautiful Cauldron...
The competition was intense, with prices skyrocketing; millions of Spirit Stones were thrown around as if they were worthless.
Fang Hao watched with trepidation, secretly rejoicing that he had made a fortune earlier; otherwise, he wouldn’t even have the qualifications to sit here.
He patiently waited while sipping the free Spirit tea.
Although the items earlier were good, they didn’t help much with his Breakthrough to the Golden Core Stage, so there was no need to act like a fool and overpay.
Finally, after auctioning off a ’Millennium Ginseng King’ capable of extending life by thirty years, the auctioneer cleared his throat, a mysterious smile on his Face: ’The next few items are rare Spirit Medicine specially prepared for all our fellow Alchemist colleagues at this auction! They are all indispensable materials for refining high-grade Spirit Pill!’
Fang Hao perked up and straightened his body. The main event was here!
The first item brought up was a Spiritual Plant that was entirely crimson, resembling burning flames—a ’Five-Hundred-Year Earth Fire Ganoderma’! Although it wasn’t the top-tier ’earth core fire ganoderma’, it was still an extremely rare fire-attribute Spirit Medicine! The starting price was five hundred thousand!
’Six hundred thousand!’’Seven hundred thousand!’ ’Nine hundred thousand!’
The price climbed all the way, quickly breaking through one million five hundred thousand, and was eventually won by a Cultivator in a private room on the second floor for two million one hundred thousand. Fang Hao didn’t bid; this medicine was of little use to him, and the age was a bit lacking.
Next came a ’Three-Hundred-Year Extreme Yin Mushroom’, an yin-attribute Spirit Medicine, and the competition was just as intense.
Fang Hao’s heart gradually tightened. Would the next one be...
’The next item,’ the auctioneer’s voice rose by an octave, ’is one of the main ingredients for refining the forming golden core, an extremely rare yang-attribute Spiritual Plant—an Eight-Hundred-Year blazing sun flower!’
As soon as he finished speaking, a maid brought up a jade tray. In the tray was a golden flower, its petals like a miniature sun, emitting scorching light and rich Yang Qi! It was the lower-tier version of the ’sun flower’!
A low gasp immediately erupted throughout the hall! A main ingredient for forming golden core! This was a treasure that could help people achieve a Breakthrough to the Golden Core Stage! Although it was only a ’blazing sun flower’ and not the legendary ’sun flower’, at eight hundred years old, its medicinal properties were sufficiently astonishing!
’The starting price is one million five hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stone!’ the auctioneer announced loudly.
’Two million!’ someone immediately shouted. ’Two million three hundred thousand!’ ’Two million six hundred thousand!’
The price soared instantly! Most of the bids came from the private rooms on the second floor; they were clearly forces or high-grade Cultivators with backgrounds who were in urgent need of this medicine.
Fang Hao’s heart thumped. This was exactly what he needed! Although it wasn’t the absolute top-tier, with it, the success rate of forming golden core could be increased significantly! He had to win it!
He took a deep breath, and when the price reached three million and the competition slowed slightly, he raised his number plate and said in a deep voice, ’Three million two hundred thousand.’
His voice attracted some attention. After all, sitting in the open seating area, there weren’t many Loose Cultivator who could bid up to this price.
’Three million five hundred thousand!’ A hoarse voice came from the private room on the left side of the second floor, carrying a hint of unquestionable authority.
Fang Hao frowned slightly and raised the price again: ’Three million eight hundred thousand.’
’Four million!’ The hoarse voice immediately followed, seemingly determined to win.
Fang Hao’s heart sank; the price was getting a bit high. But he couldn’t give up: ’Four million two hundred thousand.’
’Four million five hundred thousand!’ The other party did not show any weakness.
The hall went quiet, and everyone was watching this bidding war between a Cultivator in the open seating area and a VIP in a private room. Many people whispered to each other, speculating about Fang Hao’s background.
Fang Hao gritted his teeth. Although this blazing sun flower was precious, the market price for an eight-hundred-year-old one was around four million; four million five hundred thousand was already quite a premium. But he needed it!
’Four million eight hundred thousand!’ He spoke again, his voice sounding a bit dry. This was almost the limit of his psychological price range.
The private room on the second floor was silent for a moment. Just when Fang Hao thought the other party had given up, the hoarse voice sounded again, carrying a hint of coldness: ’Five million! Fellow Daoist, this old man is True Person Chiyang, a Golden Core Stage Alchemist. This flower is of utmost importance to me, so please give me some Face!’
Once these words were spoken, they carried a clear threat! True Person Chiyang! Many people had heard of this name; he was a quite famous Loose Cultivator Alchemist in the Southern Border, known for his explosive temper and for being petty and vengeful.
Everyone’s eyes were fixed on Fang Hao, wanting to see how he would respond. Offending a Golden Core Stage Alchemist was no laughing matter.
Fang Hao cursed internally; another one of these types who relied on their status to bully others! But he was now in a difficult position. Give up? He was unwilling! Continue bidding? Not only would it put immense pressure on his Spirit Stone reserves, but it would also completely offend the other party.
He took a deep breath, suppressed the anger in his heart, and said as calmly as possible: ’In an auction, the highest bidder wins. Five million one hundred thousand!’
In the end, he chose to compete! So what if he was a Golden Core Alchemist? The Tianyan Secret Realm was about to open, and he desperately needed to increase his strength. If he missed this opportunity, he didn’t know when he would encounter it again. As for offending someone? A debtor doesn’t worry about too much debt; anyway, he already had plenty of enemies, one more wouldn’t matter!
’Good! Good! Good!’ The voice of True Person Chiyang, laughing in extreme anger, came from the private room on the second floor, ’Kid, you have guts! Five million two hundred thousand!’
’Five million three hundred thousand!’ Fang Hao did not back down.
’Five million four hundred thousand!’ ’Five million five hundred thousand!’ When Fang Hao shouted this number, his heart was bleeding. The premium was too high!
The side of True Person Chiyang went completely silent. Clearly, this price had exceeded his psychological bottom line, or he felt that it wasn’t worth it to fight to the death with a reckless youth for an eight-hundred-year-old blazing sun flower.
The auctioneer asked three times, but no one bid again.
’Sold! Congratulations to this Fellow Daoist for winning the eight-hundred-year-old blazing sun flower for five million five hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stone!’ The auctioneer struck the gavel to seal the deal.
Fang Hao let out a long sigh of relief, his back soaked in cold sweat. He had finally won it! But the cost was heavy; not only did he pay an astronomical price, but he also offended a petty Golden Core Stage Alchemist.
He could feel a cold gaze from that private room on the second floor locking onto him like a venomous snake, filled with resentment. Fang Hao sneered internally, but his expression remained calm. Soldiers come, block them; water comes, earth covers it—it was just a matter of dealing with things as they came.
After settling the Spirit Stone, he obtained the golden blazing sun flower. Feeling the surging Yang Qi within it, Fang Hao felt the money was well spent! With it, the hope of forming golden core had increased by another point!
In the subsequent auctions, he saw a section of ’four-hundred-year-old mysterious ice lotus root’; although it wasn’t a petal, it was an important part of the water-attribute main medicine. He bid again and spent over two million to win it. As for the ’earth core fire ganoderma’ and ’moon shadow grass’, they never appeared.
The auction ended, and Fang Hao walked out of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion with the crowd. He could clearly feel several malicious Divine Sense scanning over him. He snorted coldly, activated the Ethereal Art, and his aura instantly became erratic, quickly disappearing into the bustling streets shrouded in the night.
Returning to the small courtyard he rented, he activated all the Formation, and only then did Fang Hao truly relax. Looking at the two hard-won Spirit Medicine in his storage ring, a flash of determination crossed his eyes.
If he offended someone, so be it. The path of Cultivate is inherently about fighting with people and fighting with the heavens. As long as his strength is strong enough, all monsters and demons are just clay chickens and pottery dogs! The most urgent task is to improve his strength as quickly as possible to cope with the upcoming Tianyan Secret Realm.
