Chapter 168: Chapter 167: Life-Extending Spirit Pill
The auction item’s information updated on the Water Mirror. Inside a long-necked Jade Bottle was a gray, viscous, and turbid liquid.
’So this is what Sword Tempering Spirit Water looks like. If I hadn’t seen it here, I wouldn’t have recognized it out in the world...’
As a Sword Cultivator, Bai Zichen naturally paid close attention to any Spiritual Object related to Flying Swords.
Sword Tempering Spirit Water was not a naturally occurring Spiritual Object, but a byproduct discovered by chance by an Artifact Refiner skilled in Sword Refinement.
It was made by using Earth Fire to smelt the Five Metals Spirit until it became liquid, then mixing in Stone Milk and continuing to raise the temperature.
An entire decade of smelting was required to produce a single cauldron of Sword Tempering Spirit Water.
"Wiping the blade can effectively protect against minor internal cracks... Soaking it in Sword Tempering Spirit Water for a full day and night can repair significant damage to a Flying Sword."
Bai Zichen touched the surface, and the specific effects of the Sword Tempering Spirit Water appeared on the Water Mirror.
Tier One Flying Swords weren’t worth repairing, while Tier Three Flying Swords were usually kept within the Dantian Qi Sea, nourished by Pill Qi.
The minor cracks caused by clashing with Magical Treasures or other Flying Swords could be slowly mended through refinement with this Pill Qi.
Therefore, the usefulness of Tier Three Sword Tempering Spirit Water was diminished, and few Artifact Refiners would go out of their way to smelt it.
Tier Two Sword Tempering Spirit Water was the most common type on the market.
Bai Zichen possessed the Sword Nurturing Technique, which could nourish and repair any Wood Element Flying Sword.
According to the Sword Refining Secret Technique, his Sword Nurturing Technique could even repair a Flying Sword that had been snapped in two.
Minor hidden damage and nicks were even quicker to fix.
Although Wood Element Flying Swords weren’t as sharp or hard as those of the Five Metals Flying Sword type, in his hands, he didn’t need to fear direct clashes or worry about damage. He wouldn’t be at a disadvantage when facing other Flying Swords.
’My Sword Nurturing Technique is ineffective on the Celestial Xin Sword. It’s essential to buy a couple of bottles of Sword Tempering Spirit Water to have on hand... After all, I won’t be changing my Flying Sword before Core Formation, so it will be with me for a long time.’
The lifespan of a Flying Sword was closely related to the frequency of Combat.
For those Combat fanatics, Cultivators who frequently engaged in sword duels and life-or-death battles, their Flying Swords could wear down to the point of needing to be re-refined in just five or six years.
One bottle of Sword Tempering Spirit Water was enough to soak a Flying Sword three times.
Bai Zichen mentally calculated the value of the Sword Tempering Spirit Water. He picked up the brush and first bid a high price of three thousand Spirit Stones, then submitted another bid of two thousand.
Finally, he bid prices closer to the middle, submitting separate bids of two thousand five hundred and two thousand six hundred Spirit Stones.
’I can’t believe Junior Brother Bai has already grasped the essence of a blind auction after just encountering it. He doesn’t need my guidance at all...’
Jin Lu’s face was filled with astonishment. He had originally thought that this Junior Brother Bai, with his outstanding combat prowess, must be a Sword Cultivator of the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao.
That would explain how he had achieved such a shocking Sword Dao Realm at his age.
He never imagined Bai Zichen would instinctively grasp the tricks of bidding at an auction.
"This item is useful to me, so I can accept paying a slight premium."
Bai Zichen felt Jin Lu’s surprised gaze and was inwardly amused.
True cultivation geniuses, like Celestial Spiritual Root Cultivators, were treated as priceless treasures in any Sect.
In the early stages of their Cultivation, not a single second would be wasted.
For them, advancing one layer in the Qi Refining Realm each year was the norm.
They could complete the entire Foundation Establishment stage within a single 60-Year Cycle.
Because of this, many Celestial Spiritual Root Cultivators rarely touched upon worldly affairs until they reached Foundation Establishment Perfection, thus retaining a certain childlike innocence.
This created a stereotype that genius Cultivators were often naive and ignorant of worldly matters.
But it was only because they were completely absorbed in Cultivation and simply had no energy to spare for anything else.
With just a little experience, they would learn and grow at an astonishing rate.
He was determined to get the Sword Tempering Spirit Water. The bid of three thousand Spirit Stones was to ensure at least one bottle fell into his hands.
The two-thousand-Spirit-Stone bid was slightly below market price—a gamble to see if he could get lucky and snag a bargain.
As for the other two bids, they were both around the normal price.
Whether they would succeed depended on how many Cultivators in the hall were interested in the Sword Tempering Spirit Water.
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the bidding ended.
The Water Mirror updated promptly with the results. His bids of three thousand and two thousand six hundred Spirit Stones had both successfully made it into the top ten.
The auction house moved quickly. The next item had just been displayed on stage when a knock came at their private room’s door.
"Honored guests, your two bottles of Tier Two Sword Tempering Spirit Water have arrived."
Behind the auction house Steward was a Lady-in-Waiting, who placed the tray in her hands on the table in the room.
Bai Zichen inspected the Jade Bottles and confirmed they were intact and unopened. With a slight pang of regret, he counted out five thousand six hundred Spirit Stones.
The Steward collected the Spirit Stones, gave a slight nod, and exited the room without another word.
’It seems the Sound Bamboo Sword has its merits after all. At least its daily upkeep is worry-free...’
Bai Zichen put away the Sword Tempering Spirit Water. It should last him a long time.
Two bottles of Sword Tempering Spirit Water were enough to repair the Celestial Xin Sword six times.
Among the subsequent warm-up items, nothing appeared that caught his interest, so he remained a spectator.
Jin Lu placed a bid, attempting to win a clutch of Fire Bee Eggs.
Unfortunately, his bid was too low, and he lost out with regret.
"The first round of bidding has concluded. Congratulations, fellow Daoists... The second round of the auction will begin shortly. If any Daoists are short on Spirit Stones, you may call for one of our Stewards to pawn your treasures. We will offer a temporary loan of Spirit Stones at seventy percent of the market value."
The host on stage wore a long robe embroidered from chest to cuff with water-like ripples—the attire of a Du Family Core Disciple.
His expression was wooden and his tone flat. He was clearly not an employee of the auction house, but had been temporarily brought in to preside over the event.
’Foundation Establishment Perfection... The Du Family really knows how to make a statement...’
The moment this Du Family Cultivator stood there, he exuded an aura of profound stability, like a majestic, imposing mountain.
The man was intentionally displaying his Cultivation. Through the window of their private room, Bai Zichen could tell he was at Foundation Establishment Perfection. The feeling he gave off was somewhat similar to when Bai Zichen faced Ancestor Yangg.
"That is Du the Twelfth Son. He’s a bit younger than me but reached Foundation Establishment Perfection several years ago... He is one of the Du Family’s most valued disciples and is expected to advance to Core Formation within thirty years."
As expected, Jin Lu knew the Du Family like the back of his hand, quickly recounting the man’s history.
"Every thirty years, the Immortal City hosts a grand auction featuring mainly Tier Three Treasures. A large number of Core Formation True Men attend... Only then will the Du Family send two of their Core Formation Clan Members to preside over the auction."
’What a display of power!’
Bai Zichen looked at Du the Twelfth Son on the floor. This auction had opened all three floors of private rooms, indicating that Core Formation True Men were present.
The Du Family’s message was clear: a single clan member at Foundation Establishment Perfection was enough to keep the situation under control.
Of course, in Zengguang Immortal City, no one would dare cause a scene at the auction even if the Du Family only sent a Qi Refining Clan Member.
At most, they would just grumble inwardly, feeling they hadn’t been shown enough respect.
"The first item of the second round: the Golden Jade Green Heart Pill... There are one hundred pills in total. The starting bid for each is three thousand Spirit Stones."
Du the Twelfth Son served only as an announcer, making no mention of the item’s effects or uses.
Fortunately, Cultivators only needed to touch the Water Mirror for a detailed explanation to appear.
Golden Jade Green Heart Pill. Effective on the first dose, extends life by twenty years.
"Longevity Grass has been hard to find in recent years, so the production of the Golden Jade Green Heart Pill has dropped significantly... I thought the Du Family wouldn’t release any Life-Extending Elixirs at this auction, or at least they’d reduce the quantity. I never expected them to put up a hundred pills at once."
Jin Lu was in the prime of his life and had no need for a Life-Extending Elixir.
However, considering that Longevity Grass, the main ingredient for all types of Life-Extending Elixirs, was becoming increasingly scarce, and the price of every Life-Extending Elixir was rising, he hesitated for a moment.
’Perhaps I should act now and secure one for the future?’
"I heard the Golden Jade Green Heart Pill is the most common Tier Two Life-Extending Elixir, and that the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion often has it for sale?"
Bai Zichen found that what Jin Lu said didn’t match the information he had, so he asked curiously.
"That was true thirty years ago, but things are different now."
Jin Lu patted his stomach and said with a hint of showing off, "All Life-Extending Elixirs require the Tier Three Spirit Medicine, Longevity Grass. The reason the Golden Jade Green Heart Pill used to be so common and inexpensive was that its Pill Formula required the least amount of Longevity Grass... but thirty years ago, a Medicine Garden Secret Realm in Liang Country collapsed, and the supply of Longevity Grass on the market was instantly cut by more than half. Consequently, the prices of all Life-Extending Elixirs have soared."
Having been transferred to the Alchemy Hall and now coveting the position of Hall Master, he naturally needed to demonstrate some skill in Alchemy to win over the others.
Although his Alchemy skills were mediocre, he paid very close attention to the price fluctuations of various Alchemy Materials, so of course he wouldn’t have missed the news about the massive drop in Longevity Grass production.
Jin Lu picked up the brush and wrote a price of four thousand Spirit Stones on the Water Mirror, then continued, "For the Du Family to release a hundred Golden Jade Green Heart Pills so casually under these circumstances can only mean one thing: their family’s Medicine Garden Secret Realm is likely one of the highest-grade ones, where Spirit Medicines need only one-fifth of the time to mature compared to the outside world!"
The Secret Realms controlled by the various major powers were top-level secrets; outsiders could only ever know the general details.
The Ten Thousand Beasts Sect’s Secret Realm, which produced Core Formation Spiritual Objects, was an exception.
Not long after its discovery, a traitor within the sect leaked the news that it could produce two hundred drops of Clear Spirit Jade Marrow every 60-Year Cycle, instantly making the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect a target for all.
If the Du Family’s Medicine Garden Secret Realm could really shorten a Spirit Medicine’s growth time to one-fifth, it would mean that a Thousand-Year-Old Golden Crown Lingzhi planted inside would mature in just two hundred years.
As long as they planted several batches at different times, they could guarantee a stable harvest of Golden Crown Lingzhi at regular intervals.
This was why a stable Medicine Garden Secret Realm was considered the foundation of a lasting legacy for any Sect and Family.
A glint flashed in Bai Zichen’s eyes. He felt that Jin Lu’s understanding of the Du Family was a bit too deep.
For a borderland Core Formation Level Sect from hundreds of thousands of miles away to be so concerned with and have collected so much information on the Du Family—the number one Cultivation Family controlling the Immortal City—was completely illogical. Something felt off.
Once the bidding time was over, the image of the Golden Jade Green Heart Pill vanished from the Water Mirror, and no notification appeared.
This proved that Jin Lu’s bid of four thousand Spirit Stones hadn’t even made it into the top one hundred, and he had lost his chance at the Life-Extending Spirit Pill.
"I bid too low! I should have added a few hundred more Spirit Stones!"
Jin Lu slapped his thigh, full of regret.
He had still misjudged the market trend, not anticipating how quickly the drop in Longevity Grass production would create such a sense of urgency among older Cultivators.
And with the auction of the Golden Jade Green Heart Pill this time, the price of life-extending elixirs would only continue to soar in the future, unless a new source of Longevity Grass was discovered.
The terror of death was not unique to Mortals; it was deeply ingrained in the heart of every Cultivator.
After the Life-Extending Elixir, two types of Spirit Pills for improving Cultivation appeared, including the Nine Revolutions Dragon Tiger Pill that Bai Zichen had taken before.
The auction, however, was much more generous. Three hundred pills were put up at once, to be bid on in sets of three.
This corresponded perfectly to the Early-Stage, Mid-Stage, and Late-Stage Foundation Establishment realms, with one pill to be taken at each level. The starting bid for each set was also three thousand Spirit Stones.
