Cultivation: From Servant to Revered Immortal

Chapter 159: Chapter 89: Glorious Is Our Alchemist Zhou!

”A Spirit Fusion Stone, a top-grade spirit material, increases the compatibility between different spirit materials, starting at two thousand five hundred spirit stones, with each bid increment no less than one hundred spirit stones!”

Soon, Wang Erniu bought it for four thousand spirit stones.

Wang Erniu purchased this item, presumably to craft his lifebound spirit sword.

Sword cultivators excel in the way of the sword, and the spirit sword is their foundation.

At this moment, a middle-aged man in rich attire walked into the room.

”Elder Yu, why are you here?”

This person was an elder of the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall of White Cloud Immortal City.

Zhou Xun had dealt with him a few times.

”Oh, the Chief Steward instructed me to convey this message: ’Alchemist Zhou is an important figure in our Immortal City. In this auction, he can procure any item at eighty percent of the auction price. If he lacks spirit stones, the Immortal City can lend him up to ten thousand spirit stones interest-free, as long as he repays within ten years!’”

Zhou Xun was taken aback by these words, surprised at such good fortune.

This meant that during bidding, he would have a significant price advantage, and the loan limit of ten thousand spirit stones also discreetly covered his financial situation, especially since participating in the bidding for the quasi-third tier array would certainly require a lot of spirit stones.

”In that case, please extend my gratitude to the Chief Steward!” Zhou Xun cupped his hands in salute.

”Then I shall take my leave!” The middle-aged man cupped his hands and bid farewell.

”Big brother, I didn’t realize your status in the Immortal City was so high!” Wang Erniu was full of admiration.

Thinking about himself, he still needed to borrow spirit stones from Zhou Xun to bid for treasures.

Whereas Zhou Xun, at his bidding, the White Cloud Immortal City actively offered to lend spirit stones!

The difference was immense!

Song Yiqing’s beautiful eyes were also full of admiration.

The original status of Zhou Xun was already high enough, but she underestimated him.

Even if her family’s elder were to come here, she feared they wouldn’t receive such treatment, right?

...

The auction was halfway through, and the event paused for half an hour.

In the second half, more precious treasures were auctioned, such as the Cyan Spirit Pill that helps Early-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivators break through to the Middle-Stage, and a large flying ship.

During this time, Zhou Xun heard the voice of the Lin Family’s patriarch, who bid on many rare spirit medicine seedlings and seeds.

Following this, the auction proceeded in an orderly manner.

Zhou Xun spent four thousand five hundred spirit stones to acquire a Tier Two High-Grade Beauty Pill.

However, it had a twenty percent discount, costing only three thousand six hundred spirit stones.

When he told Song Yiqing that he purchased the Beauty Pill for her, Song Yiqing was dumbfounded.

”Husband, this... this is for me? It’s too precious!”

Three thousand six hundred spirit stones are enough to purchase two top-grade spiritual artifacts.

”You’ve served me for many years; a mere Beauty Pill is nothing. You should cultivate well, and I will fully support you in reaching Foundation Establishment in the future!”

Zhou Xun gently patted Song Yiqing’s head and spoke softly.

Song Yiqing, being his concubine, was indeed the best choice to manage the dojo for him. If she could reach Foundation Establishment sooner, it would naturally be even better.

”Thank you, husband!” Song Yiqing’s face was full of gratitude.

”Next up for auction is the quasi-third tier array ’Vajra Five Elements Array.’ It is a simplified version of the Forbidden Array ’Inverted Five Elements Array!’”

”This array covers a hundred miles, drawing power from the spirit veins to form a Five Elements Light Shield. Even a Fake Pill cultivator would find it hard to break through it!”

”Besides, this array also features attack capabilities, illusion transformations, and the inversion and interchange of the Five Elements. Ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators caught in it would find it hard to escape!”

”It’s truly a top-notch mountain protection array.”

”If any family’s spirit vein were protected by this array, it would be as solid as a fortress!”

”The starting price is thirteen thousand spirit stones, with each bid increment no less than five hundred spirit stones!”

Hearing this, many families felt tempted.

A quasi-third tier mountain protection array is only possessed by about a dozen families in the entire Xui Country.

For instance, the Red Leaf Square Lin Family’s ancestral land is protected by a quasi-third tier array — the Golden Wave Celestial Array!

After a moment’s hesitation, someone began to bid:

”Thirteen thousand five hundred spirit stones!”

The bidder was an old man with white hair.

This person was the ancestor of the Zheng Family from Qinggyun Mountain, named Zheng Buxiu, at Foundation Establishment Peak, but his lifespan was nearing its end.

Qinggyun Mountain is located in the southern part of Xui Country, close to Fengg Country, with strength comparable to that of the Red Leaf Square Lin Family.

However, the Zheng family has only risen to prominence in recent decades and lacks deep foundations. The array protecting their family residence is only a Tier Two High-Grade array.

The Zheng Family’s ancestor was purchasing this array, hoping that after his passing, the array’s power would preserve the family’s heritage.

”Fourteen thousand spirit stones!” A stern middle-aged man spoke.

This person was surnamed Huang, named Huang Tianqiu, the Grand Elder of the Huang Family at Huangzhu Ridge, with a Middle-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivation.

The Huang Family is a renowned cultivation family with over six hundred years of heritage, having produced Fake Pill cultivators in the past.

The Zheng Family originally depended on the Huang Family, with Zheng Buxiu being a son-in-law of the Huang Family.

However, after Zheng Buxiu reached Late-Stage Foundation Establishment, he immediately took charge, occupying Qinggyun Mountain with its Tier Two Middle-Grade spirit vein,

and seized a large portion of the Huang Family’s spirit ores, spirit lands, and other cultivation resources.

Over several decades, all that remained for the Huang Family was Huangzhu Ridge, their ancestral land.

The two families were at each other’s throats!

Seeing Zheng Buxiu intend to purchase the quasi-third tier array, the Huang Family naturally couldn’t allow it!

The Huang Family had resisted Zheng Buxiu using a quasi-third tier array; if the Zheng Family also acquired such an array, how could they avenge themselves?

Zheng Buxiu, hearing Huang Tianqiu speak, sneered lightly.

”Huang Tianqiu, I didn’t expect a moment of negligence to let you get away, making things difficult for me now!”

”Today, I’ll show you which family truly has deeper roots!”

With that, he quoted a price:

”Fifteen thousand spirit stones!”

He also resolved inwardly that if he couldn’t compete, he wouldn’t allow Huang Tianqiu to return to Huangzhu Ridge.

Zhou Xun listened to the two competing bids with a slight frown.

He was somewhat aware of the conflict between the Zheng and Huang families.

However, this array was something he was determined to win unless a Fake Pill cultivator personally intervened, in which case he was committed to securing this array.

Thus, he immediately increased the bid by a thousand spirit stones:

”Sixteen thousand spirit stones!”

Zhou Xun’s bid surprised everyone.

”Isn’t Alchemist Zhou a loose cultivator? Why is he also competing for this mountain protection array?”

”You might not know, but Wangchuan Lake has already been leased to Alchemist Zhou. His purchase of this array is surely to protect the dojo!”

Explained a well-informed cultivator.

”I see, but Alchemist Zhou’s wealth is truly profound. Sixteen thousand spirit stones, a world apart from us!” Another person sighed.

”Alchemist Zhou is not yet forty and is already a Tier Two Middle-Grade Alchemist, with a secured future as a Tier Two High-Grade Alchemist, and even a significant chance of becoming a Quasi-Third Tier Alchemist!”

”At that level, even Master White Cloud would treat him as an honored guest. Such a person would have no shortage of people willing to lend him spirit stones!”

”And likely, White Cloud Immortal City is among them!” Remarked this person confidently, with an air of mystery.

”What you say is indeed true. Think about it, both Alchemist Zhou and I are Early-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, but the difference is worlds apart!”