Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing

The auction was held at Spirit River Tower. Most attendees entered dressed in thick robes and wearing masks. Only a few martial artists with powerful auras or strong backgrounds strode in openly without the slightest attempt at concealment.

Lin Zheyu used the Tortoise Breath Grand Method to restrain his aura and alter his appearance before putting on a mask. Wealth should not be flaunted. Although those attending the auction were all people of status and unlikely to covet his modest wealth, caution was never a mistake.

Upon arriving at Spirit River Tower, he presented his invitation. Though the invitation granted entry, a deposit of 1,000 taels of silver was still required, refundable after the auction. It served as a test for the invitee, preventing invitations from being casually passed around and uninvited riffraff from getting in.

After he paid the deposit, a maid approached and spoke respectfully.

”Please, follow me.”

Led by the maid, Lin Zheyu arrived at his seat. The invitation did not specify seating; arrangements were made upon arrival according to the invitation’s grade. His was of the lowest tier, placing him in the back rows, far from the auction stage.

Throughout the process, the auction maintained strict privacy, giving everyone peace of mind. The hall was vast, capable of seating over a thousand people. Having arrived early, Lin Zheyu sat observing the newcomers. Nearly all attendees were martial artists, and most of them were at least at the Blood Qi Realm. Among them were many whose strength he could not gauge, perhaps due to concealment techniques or because they were far stronger than he was.

After about twenty minutes, the auction finally began, and a graceful woman walked onto the stage. She was stunningly beautiful, dressed in a flowing violet gown. Her bearing was enchanting, charming, and supple. She was ethereal as water and brimming with spiritual energy. Her skin was like snow, her eyes were bright, and her teeth were like jade. Under the flickering lights of the auction stage, her skin gleamed with a luminous whiteness that dazzled the eyes.

”What an extraordinary woman,” murmured the man beside Lin Zheyu. He was wearing a monkey mask, and his gaze was filled with fascination.

He was not the only one. The moment she appeared, many were entranced by her beauty. Even Lin Zheyu was no exception. The love of beauty was universal, and it was the first time he had seen a woman with such allure and grace.

”Does anyone know who she is? I’m going to propose marriage!” someone shouted shamelessly.

A burly man behind him snorted with laughter, saying, ”That’s the Li Family’s precious daughter, Li Lingyun, one of Wuling City’s top ten beauties. You think you could marry her?”

”She’s Li Lingyun? Heavens, no wonder she ranks among the city’s top ten beauties.”

”For Li Lingyun to host this auction, there must be some truly valuable items up for sale.”

”Heh, you must be new. Li Lingyun often hosts auctions, and many of Wuling City’s young nobles attend just to see her.”

Lin Zheyu looked at the woman gracefully introducing herself on stage, a bit surprised.

So this is Li Lingyun.

He had often heard martial artists at the Martial Honor Restaurant speak of her, as well as of several other women ranked among the city’s top ten beauties.

I’ve heard she’s also a martial prodigy. It’s too bad I’m too far away to gauge her strength.

The commotion in the hall quieted the moment Li Lingyun began to speak. Her voice was clear, melodious, and carried a trace of ethereal charm. The items being auctioned were merely appetizers meant to stir the audience’s mood. Lin Zheyu waited silently without bidding; those items held no use for him.

Time passed slowly, and more than an hour went by.

”Most of you here are martial artists, so you’ll definitely be interested in the next item. As everyone knows, the Blood Qi Realm forms the foundation of martial cultivation! The stronger the foundation, the greater one’s potential for future growth. Those who can temper their blood qi through nine transformations and reach Dragon Transformation have a high chance of breaking through to the Grandmaster Realm,” Li Lingyun’s voice rang out clearly.

It’s coming!

Lin Zheyu’s mind snapped to attention at the introduction. The previous items, antiques, land deeds, and rare jewels, were indeed valuable, yet none had interested him. He had come to this auction solely for the chance of acquiring a martial technique.

”However, very few ever reach the Dragon Transformation. This is mainly because a martial artist’s lifespan is limited. If one cannot break through to the Marrow Refining Realm before the age of forty, their blood qi begins to decline. Breaking through after forty diminishes one’s potential in martial cultivation.

”Yet this is not without remedy. What we will now auction is the Longevity Pill, a pill capable of extending one’s lifespan, allowing those nearing forty to gain several more years to strengthen their foundation.”

Li Lingyun was skilled at rousing the crowd; her clear and lilting voice drew everyone in with ease. Under her guidance, the atmosphere in the hall quickly turned fervent.

”2,000 taels of silver!” Someone could no longer hold back and made the first bid.

Miraculous pills like the Longevity Pill existed only among powerful families and great sects. It was one of the reasons such forces produced so many prodigies.

”2,200 taels of silver!”

”3,500 taels of silver!”

As the price climbed higher and higher, Lin Zheyu couldn’t help but sigh at how wonderful it must be to be rich.

With enough money, even life itself could be bought.

In the end, the Longevity Pill sold for a high price of 6,000 taels of silver. The buyer was a young man of an esteemed family from one of the upper boxes. Whether he spent so lavishly to win Li Lingyun’s favor or because his family lacked the connections to acquire the pill elsewhere, none could say.

Still, 6,000 taels for a brighter future, or a chance at reaching the Marrow Refining Realm, was a bargain for many esteemed families. There were ten Longevity Pills in total, each selling for between 5,500 and 7,000 taels of silver.

”Sorry, everyone. Today, we only have these ten pills. If you still need them, please come again next time. However! Aside from extending lifespan, another way to prolong your cultivation at the Blood Qi Realm is to shorten the time needed to reach the Marrow Refining Realm. Normally, it takes seven to ten years for an ordinary martial artist to temper the body and infuse martial cultivation into the marrow. But with the following technique...” Li Lingyun started with a charming smile.

The technique was called the Blood Qi Transforming Rain Art. It could refine pure blood qi into a nourishing rain that seeped into the marrow, revitalizing the body with renewed vitality. Even Lin Zheyu was stirred with interest upon hearing the description, but when the starting bid of 2,000 taels was announced, his excitement vanished completely.

Lin Zheyu soon noticed that anything related to the Marrow Refining Realm, be it techniques or medicines, was extraordinarily expensive, as if that realm marked a great watershed in martial cultivation. More pills and manuals followed, all designed to aid progress toward that stage or increase the chances of breaking through. He stared at each with burning desire, but could only watch helplessly. He had just over 11,000 taels of silver; if he bought anything now and a Blood Qi Realm technique appeared later, he would no longer have enough to bid.

Will there ever be a technique for advancing to the Dragon Transformation?

He waited in silence, watching one item after another get auctioned off. Ever since the Longevity Pills, nearly everything had been related to martial cultivation, and many of them were medicinal pills.

In the black market, Lin Zheyu had never seen such pills in open circulation, so they were probably monopolized by the esteemed families and factions. Common folk could only purchase crude decoctions, salves, or hand-rolled medicinal pellets.

These medicinal pills must be worth quite a lot. I took quite a few from that Nine Nether Sect cultist and the Pei Family martial artist, so I wonder how much silver they could fetch.

He had kept those pills stored away, waiting for a chance to sell them for silver to buy herbs and tonics instead.

After another dozen items were sold, Lin Zheyu’s eyes suddenly lit up when he heard the next introduction.

”We have auctioned many items to shorten the time needed for the Marrow Refining Realm and extend cultivation at the Blood Qi Realm. It’s all to help martial artists progress further, ideally reaching the stage where their blood qi reaches Dragon Transformation. Next, we will auction the Essence and Qi Pill, which aids in condensing blood qi. Each bottle contains thirty pills, with a starting bid of 2,000 taels of silver. Let the bidding begin,” Li Lingyun said with a gentle smile.

The moment her voice fell, bids rose one after another. This time, the quantity of pills was much larger. There were fifty bottles in total, each containing thirty Essence and Qi Pills.