As one auction item after another found its owner, the atmosphere within the auction hall became increasingly heated.
Rank Two Spirit Weapons.
Formation plates.
Rare ores recovered from the deep sea.
Even several hundred-year-old medicinal herbs made appearances, each drawing enthusiastic competition from the crowd.
Lin Sheng, however, remained remarkably calm.
None of those items interested him.
Crystal continuously evaluated every treasure that appeared on stage before calmly reaching the same conclusion each time.
[Current necessity: Low.]
[Recommendation: Preserve Spirit Stones.]
His objective had never been purchasing treasures.
It was earning them.
Before today's auction officially began, he had already entrusted several storage bags to the Jiuding Merchant Alliance.
Naturally...
They did not contain Heaven Mending Pills.
Those remained the true finale.
Instead...
They held the new pills he had refined during the past three months.
Although each pill individually couldn't compare with the Heaven Mending Pill...
Together, they represented an entirely new stream of wealth.
A few moments later, Auctioneer Luo Qing smiled once more.
"Our next items come from a mysterious alchemist."
"Unlike previous treasures..."
"They shall be auctioned in batches."
The hall immediately became somewhat interested.
Batches?
That generally meant consumable resources.
Soon...
An attendant carefully placed several jade bottles upon the auction platform.
Luo Qing slowly opened one.
A rich medicinal fragrance instantly spread throughout the hall.
Many Foundation Establishment cultivators subconsciously inhaled before their expressions changed.
She gently poured a single pill into her palm.
It was pale emerald in colour with three natural pill patterns circling its surface.
"Our next item..."
"Qi Origin Pills."
"Refined using an ancient prescription."
"After verification by the Jiuding Merchant Alliance's alchemists..."
"It possesses the remarkable ability of rapidly replenishing Foundation Establishment cultivators' Spiritual Qi."
She paused slightly before continuing.
"Not merely ordinary recovery."
"It temporarily increases the efficiency of Spiritual Qi circulation, allowing cultivators attempting to break through bottlenecks to maintain sufficient Spiritual Qi throughout the entire process."
Immediately...
The audience became restless.
Many Foundation Establishment cultivators straightened in their seats.
Spiritual Qi depletion...
Had always been one of the greatest problems during breakthroughs.
Although similar pills existed...
Their effects remained mediocre.
This...
Clearly wasn't.
Luo Qing smiled faintly.
"The first batch."
"Thirty bottles."
"Each bottle contains ten pills."
"Starting bid..."
"Twenty thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones."
The first bid appeared almost instantly.
"Twenty-three thousand."
"Twenty-six thousand."
"Thirty thousand."
Within only several breaths, the price had already increased by more than fifty percent.
Lin Sheng quietly observed.
Crystal simultaneously analysed every bidder.
[Market demand exceeds previous estimates by 18.7%.]
[Future production recommended.]
Soon...
The first batch sold successfully.
The attendants immediately carried away the empty tray before replacing it with another.
This time...
The bottles were dark crimson.
Luo Qing spoke once more.
"Our second item."
"Boosting Essence Pills."
She lifted one pill before the crowd.
"This pill replenishes damaged life essence during cultivation breakthroughs."
"It cannot increase cultivation."
"Nor can it heal severe injuries."
"However..."
"For cultivators attempting major breakthroughs..."
"It significantly reduces the exhaustion of one's vital essence."
"This greatly decreases the probability of irreversible foundation damage."
Silence briefly descended.
Then...
Even several VIP rooms participated.
Unlike Spiritual Qi...
Life essence remained exceedingly difficult to replenish.
Many failed breakthroughs permanently reduced a cultivator's lifespan precisely because too much essence had been consumed.
Now...
Someone had refined a pill specifically addressing that weakness.
The competition quickly intensified.
The first batch sold for nearly twice its starting price.
Lin Sheng remained expressionless.
Inside, however...
He nodded slightly.
Everything proceeded exactly as Crystal predicted.
The auction continued.
Finally...
Luo Qing's expression became noticeably more serious.
"Our final batch of pills before the intermission..."
"Niwan Opening Pills."
The moment those words left her mouth...
Several previously silent Purple Palace cultivators suddenly opened their eyes.
Even the atmosphere within the VIP section subtly changed.
Lin Sheng naturally noticed.
The Niwan Palace...
Represented the greatest obstacle separating Foundation Establishment from Purple Palace.
Countless cultivators remained trapped there for decades.
Many never succeeded throughout their entire lives.
Luo Qing continued.
"After repeated verification..."
"This pill increases the efficiency of opening one's Niwan Palace while simultaneously protecting one's Divine Sense during the breakthrough process."
"It cannot guarantee success."
"But..."
"It noticeably increases one's chances."
The hall became completely silent.
Those below Foundation Establishment merely looked confused.
However...
Every Foundation Establishment cultivator understood exactly what that statement meant.
One additional chance...
Could determine life and death.
The bidding token within the first VIP room immediately illuminated.
"One hundred thousand."
Before anyone could recover...
Another followed.
"One hundred twenty thousand."
Then another.
"One hundred fifty thousand."
Unlike the previous pills...
Ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators had already lost the qualification to compete.
The prices soared almost entirely due to Purple Palace factions seeking reserves for their younger generations.
Lin Sheng quietly watched the increasingly fierce competition.
These pills...
Were never intended to make him famous.
They merely served one purpose.
Gathering Spirit Stones.
Every Mid-grade Spirit Stone earned today would soon become fuel for the ancient teleportation formation waiting silently beneath Ridge Mist Island.
Compared to the world hidden beyond that formation...
Everything happening inside this auction hall was merely preparation.
After the final bottle of Niwan Opening Pills was sold, the auction hall gradually quieted.
The attendants swiftly cleared the stage while several formation masters activated a brief sound-insulating formation around the auction platform. It wasn't meant for secrecy but rather to give the audience a short moment to settle before the true highlights of the auction began.
Even the cultivators who had remained relaxed until now unconsciously straightened in their seats.
Everyone understood...
The warm-up had ended.
Luo Qing returned to the centre of the stage with a smile noticeably more solemn than before.
"Honoured seniors and fellow Daoists."
"The ordinary portion of today's auction has officially concluded."
"The next items..."
"...are the true finale treasures."
Her words immediately caused a ripple to spread throughout the enormous hall.
Even several VIP rooms released faint fluctuations of Spiritual Sense before quickly withdrawing them.
Lin Sheng also became attentive.
He wasn't interested in purchasing anything.
However, understanding what treasures could attract such influential figures would allow Crystal to better estimate the overall wealth and strength of the Southern Archipelagos.
Luo Qing gently raised her hand.
"The first major finale item."
The lights inside the auction hall dimmed slightly.
An elderly attendant slowly walked onto the stage carrying a crystal jade box no larger than two palms.
Four Purple Palace cultivators accompanied him from every direction.
The sight alone caused many cultivators to become serious.
For four Purple Palace experts to escort a single treasure...
Its value could not possibly be ordinary.
The jade box was carefully placed upon the platform.
Luo Qing personally opened it.
Inside...
Rested a fragment of translucent azure jade roughly the size of an adult's fist.
Although incomplete...
An astonishingly pure spiritual fluctuation instantly spread throughout the hall.
Many cultivators immediately felt their minds becoming tranquil.
Even Lin Sheng's Sea of Consciousness experienced a slight calming effect.
Crystal immediately began analysing it.
[Unknown spiritual mineral detected.]
[Purity exceeds all recorded Rank Three Sea Jades.]
[Estimated classification:
Rank Four Sea Jade Fragment.]
Luo Qing slowly spoke.
"As many seniors have already recognised..."
"This is indeed a fragment of a Rank Four Sea Jade."
"The fragment was recovered from the deepest region of the Eastern Sea after nearly twenty Purple Palace cultivators jointly participated in the expedition."
"Although incomplete..."
"It still retains astonishing effects."
She allowed everyone several breaths to observe before continuing.
"Whether used during meditation..."
"To resist Heart Demon Tribulations..."
"Or as an auxiliary treasure during Golden Core formation..."
"It possesses remarkable effectiveness."
"The Jiuding Merchant Alliance has personally verified its quality."
Her final sentence had barely fallen when the atmosphere inside the hall completely changed.
Many Purple Palace cultivators no longer attempted to conceal their interest.
After all the greatest obstacle during Golden Core formation wasn't merely accumulating Spiritual Qi.
It was surviving the terrifying Heart Demon Tribulation.
A treasure capable of calming one's Sea of Consciousness naturally became priceless.
Luo Qing looked around before announcing calmly,
"The starting bid..."
"One hundred thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones."
No sooner had she finished speaking than a voice echoed from the third level of the VIP section.
"One hundred and fifty thousand."
The bid immediately stunned many Foundation Establishment cultivators.
An increase of fifty thousand in a single breath.
That wasn't bidding.
That was eliminating competitors.
Before the hall could recover...
Another voice calmly sounded from a different VIP room.
"Two hundred thousand."
The price continued climbing at an astonishing pace.
"Two hundred and thirty thousand."
"Two hundred and sixty thousand."
"Three hundred thousand."
Each bid originated from a different VIP room.
The ordinary cultivators below gradually gave up trying to follow the competition. Many simply sighed while watching the figures continue increasing.
Even some Purple Palace cultivators chose to withdraw.
Although the Rank Four Sea Jade fragment was precious...
It wasn't worth exhausting one's entire fortune.
Just as another Purple Palace cultivator prepared to bid again—
A terrifying pressure suddenly descended upon the auction hall.
Boom!
The Spiritual Qi within the hall trembled.
Many Qi Refining cultivators immediately turned pale while several Foundation Establishment cultivators found breathing difficult.
Only the Purple Palace cultivators remained mostly unaffected.
A rough voice echoed throughout the auction house.
"This old man is one of the three leaders of the Whale Port Pirate Group."
"The Rank Four Sea Jade..."
"...belongs to me."
Silence instantly descended.
The Whale Port Pirate Group.
That single name caused numerous expressions to change.
Unlike ordinary pirate organisations, the Whale Port Pirate Group had existed for centuries, controlling several dangerous sea routes while possessing numerous Purple Palace experts.
Any merchant vessel unfortunate enough to encounter them either paid an enormous tribute...
Or disappeared forever.
Many smaller sects had attempted to eradicate them over the years.
Every attempt had failed.
No one expected...
One of their leaders had personally attended today's auction.
The pirate leader slowly released more of his aura.
"I trust..."
"...everyone present understands my meaning."
Several Purple Palace cultivators inside the VIP rooms frowned.
Although dissatisfied...
Some truly began hesitating.
Offending the Whale Port Pirate Group meant every future journey across the sea would become considerably more dangerous.
Many cultivators relied upon maritime trade.
Making enemies with pirates was seldom a wise decision.
The hall gradually became quiet.
The pirate leader gave a satisfied laugh.
"So."
"It seems everyone present still possesses some—"
Before he could finish speaking—
An even more terrifying aura suddenly descended from somewhere within the auction house.
It wasn't violent.
Nor was it oppressive.
Yet...
The moment it appeared, the pirate leader's aura instantly shattered like fragile glass.
The entire auction hall fell completely silent.
Lin Sheng's pupils contracted slightly.
Golden Core.
Without question...
Only a Golden Core cultivator could suppress a late-stage Purple Palace expert so effortlessly.
A calm elderly voice slowly echoed throughout the hall.
"The Thousand Isle Auction House."
"Has its rules."
"Those who enter..."
"...must obey them."
"There shall be no coercion."
"There shall be no suppression."
"There shall be no threats."
"Anyone who dares violate these rules..."
"...shall bear the consequences."
The voice remained calm.
Yet every word seemed to carry irresistible authority.
The pirate leader's expression instantly changed.
"Senior..."
"I merely—"
Before another word could leave his mouth—
A golden finger descended from above.
It appeared without warning.
There were no complicated movements.
No dazzling Divine Ability.
Only...
One finger.
Bang!
A miserable scream erupted from the fourth VIP room.
The protective formations shattered instantly as a figure blasted through several walls before flying directly out of the auction house.
Everyone watched in stunned silence as the pirate leader crashed heavily outside the city, coughing blood continuously while one of his arms hung limply at his side.
He had been seriously injured...
With a single attack.
No one doubted that the Golden Core cultivator had shown mercy.
Otherwise...
That finger alone would have been enough to erase the pirate leader from existence.
The elderly voice sounded once more.
"Continue."
Immediately afterwards...
The overwhelming pressure vanished as though it had never existed.
The entire auction hall remained deathly quiet.
No one spoke.
No one even dared whisper.
Many cultivators secretly swallowed.
This...
Was the confidence of the Auction House.
Backed by a Nascent Soul Monarch.
Protected by Golden Core cultivators.
Regardless of whether one was a sect elder, pirate leader or independent expert...
Once inside the auction house...
Everyone followed the same rules.
Even Lin Sheng secretly relaxed.
The existence of such authority significantly reduced the possibility of someone attacking him before he received his Spirit Stones.
On the auction platform, Luo Qing's expression never changed.
It was almost as though the incident had merely been a brief interruption.
She smiled gently before saying,
"Now then..."
"Shall we continue bidding for the Rank Four Sea Jade fragment?"
Almost immediately...
The bidding resumed.
This time...
No one dared mention status, background or threats again.