Chapter Seven: Entering the Profound Elixir

Yan Lan looked at the crowd's attitude and guessed that the Spirit-Nourishing Pearl was likely to go unsold. As she was pondering this, a voice rang out from the second VIP box, “Fifty thousand gold coins.” The voice carried a hint of excitement; after all, Lu Tianhong had been searching for this Spirit-Nourishing Pearl for a long time, and now it was within reach. Naturally, he was excited. Every time he recalled Meng Wan’er’s suffering, his heart ached.

“Anyone willing to raise the bid? Fifty thousand once… Fifty thousand twice…” Yan Lan was elated; this was her first auction, and if an item went unsold, the princess would surely mock her.

“Wait, Miss Yan Lan, I bid eighty thousand.” A discordant voice echoed from the third VIP box.

“Isn’t that the Li family’s VIP box?”

“That sounds like the Li family head, Li Zhengcheng.”

“The Lu and Li families are bidding against each other—this will be interesting.”

“I wonder why they want the Spirit-Nourishing Pearl?”

Discussion erupted below.

Lu Tianhong was annoyed. Li Zhengcheng, the Li family head, was clearly doing this on purpose. Over the years, Lu Tianhong had asked many people to search for the Spirit-Nourishing Pearl, and Li Zhengcheng couldn’t possibly be unaware.

“Family Head Li, our two families have always kept out of each other’s affairs. You don’t need this pearl. Consider this a favor—I’ll owe you one. Why not let me have it?” Lu Tianhong was irritated but had to restrain himself; after all, this was the Treasure Pavilion, and no one who caused trouble here ever left unscathed.

“Haha… Family Head Lu, you’re mistaken. A distant relative of mine was wounded by a sword years ago and still suffers from pain. I hope to help him with this pearl.” Li Zhengcheng showed no sign of backing down.

“A distant relative?”

“Willing to spend eighty thousand gold coins on a distant relative?”

“Li Zhengcheng is famously stingy.”

“He clearly sees that Family Head Lu won’t give up and is setting a trap.”

Li Zhengcheng’s words drew a round of eye rolls from the crowd.

“Fine, ninety thousand gold coins.” Lu Tianhong realized this was a pitfall, but he had no choice but to walk into it.

“One hundred thousand.” No sooner had Lu Tianhong spoken than Li Zhengcheng calmly raised the bid.

“Tianhong, perhaps we should let it go? I don’t suffer much, and one hundred thousand gold coins is too steep. The elders…” Meng Wan’er, seated beside Lu Tianhong, was interrupted before she could finish.

“Wan’er, no matter the cost, I will win it for you.” Lu Tianhong looked at Meng Wan’er with solemn determination. He had witnessed her agony during rainy days, and each time, he felt the pain and guilt himself. If not for him… The thought brought a moistness to his eyes; even a man of iron has his tender moments.

“Hundred and twenty thousand.” Lu Tianhong gritted his teeth; this was his limit. After all, the Lu family earned only fifty or sixty thousand gold coins a year. Spending one hundred and twenty thousand on a single Spirit-Nourishing Pearl would be hard to explain to the family.

Lu Chong, the steward beside him, was about to step forward to advise Lu Tianhong, feeling it was his duty. But seeing Uncle Fu signal him with his eyes, he withdrew.

“Family Head Lu, you are truly generous. The Spirit-Nourishing Pearl is precious, but limited in effect—worth six or seven tens of thousands at most, and you’re offering twice that. I, Li Zhengcheng, am impressed. Tsk tsk, one hundred and twenty thousand, you could buy a third-grade pill with that. Since you insist, I’ll let you have it.”

Li Zhengcheng felt he had pressed enough; pushing further would be unwise. One hundred and twenty thousand gold coins was enough to cause Lu Tianhong some pain.

Lu Tianhong knew well that a third-grade pill could cure Meng Wan’er’s hidden ailment, but nearby cities, including Maple Leaf City, had only second-grade alchemists at best.

Speaking of alchemists, they were the most favored and respected group among warriors on the Sky Vault Continent. The pills they refined could heal injuries and help breakthroughs.

Warriors often needed to break through and faced dangers, so pills were highly sought after on the continent.

But not everyone could become an alchemist. Only those with fire and wood affinity, and a master to teach them pill arts, could become one. Among ten thousand people, perhaps only one could attain this status.

“Uncle Fu, later sell my ‘Shadowless’ horse; it should fetch several thousand gold coins, then give the money to Steward Lu Chong.” Lu Tianhong felt helpless. Though he was the family head, spending one hundred and twenty thousand gold coins at once would certainly raise concerns among the elders.

“Family head, that’s a fine Da Tong horse—it’s followed you for years,” Uncle Fu protested anxiously. ‘Shadowless’ was Lu Tianhong’s beloved steed, a superb Da Tong horse, able to travel eight hundred li a day. He had been delighted when he acquired it.

“Sell it. Otherwise, I’ll be accused of misappropriating family funds. I’ll make up the rest later.” Lu Tianhong waved dismissively. As long as it could ease Meng Wan’er’s pain, he didn’t care.

Meng Wan’er was deeply moved but remained silent, knowing Lu Tianhong’s character—once he made a decision, it would not change.

“Since no one raises the bid, the Spirit-Nourishing Pearl goes to the second VIP box.” Yan Lan hadn’t expected the pearl to sell for one hundred and twenty thousand. Though valuable, it was somewhat limited.

“The next auction item, I believe many are interested: it’s called the Profound Entry Pill. Let me briefly introduce it.” Yan Lan held a white pill the size of a longan; a fragrant aroma filled the hall.

According to Yan Lan, this Profound Entry Pill was refined by Le Wu Liang, disciple of the Pill King Pavilion’s master in the imperial capital. It was made primarily from a hundred-year-old lingzhi and thousand-leaf dew, with other herbs as supplements. For those at the Ninth Layer of the Innate Realm, it offered a fifty percent chance to break into the Profound Lord Realm—hence its name.

“What? Fifty percent chance?”

“If I were Ninth Layer Innate, I’d sell my underwear to win that Profound Entry Pill!”

“Oh, please. You barely broke through Innate by luck; you’ll be stuck at the Second Layer for life.”

Though there was lively discussion below, no one took action. They all knew this item would be contested by the three great families and the City Lord’s mansion; they dared not meddle.

It was precisely because the envoy from the imperial capital was different this time that the Treasure Pavilion’s master, Qian Santong, had no knowledge of what treasures would be auctioned, so he hadn’t notified the three great families. In the past, whenever Qian Santong learned of extraordinary treasures, he would inform the family heads and City Lord’s mansion to bid.

Usually, if Qian Santong didn’t send word, the three families would only send a steward to attend. This time, because Lu Tianhong heard about the Spirit-Nourishing Pearl, he rushed over. Li Zhengcheng, the Li family head, seemed to have arrived early for unknown reasons. City Lord Wen Hao came out of seclusion due to word from the family envoy. As for the Lie family, their head was unconscious, so only the old steward attended.

“The Profound Entry Pill, starting at five hundred thousand gold coins, with each raise no less than one hundred thousand. Bidding begins now.” Yan Lan didn’t know why the princess wanted to auction off the pill gifted by Young Master Le, but the princess’s indisputable tone left no room for questions.

“Li family bids one million. This Profound Entry Pill will be ours,” Li Zhengcheng declared overbearingly as soon as Yan Lan finished. This pill must return with him; it could mean a fifty percent chance of another Profound Lord emerging in the Li family.

“Family Head Li, truly generous—doubling the starting bid. My Lie family offers one million and two hundred thousand,” said the old steward from the fourth VIP box, next to the second.

This infuriated Li Zhengcheng. Others might not know, but he did—the Lie family had no chance to break through to Profound Lord. This was clearly a ploy to trip him up.

Hmph, in three months, you’ll see.

“Family head, I brought one million six hundred thousand from the family. With the Spirit-Nourishing Pearl just bought, we have less than one million five hundred thousand left,” Lu Chong said, handing Lu Tianhong a gold card.

This was a gold coin card issued jointly by the major merchant guilds of the Sky Vault Continent. There were three types: white, holding up to five hundred thousand; gold, up to five million; purple, up to fifty million. Families like those in Maple Leaf City only possessed white coin cards, while the three great families and City Lord’s mansion had gold coin cards. As for the highest purple card, only Qian Santong, master of the Treasure Pavilion, owned one in Maple Leaf City—a symbol of wealth.

“Then one million five hundred thousand it is.” Lu Tianhong decided to take a chance.

The auction proceeded with fervor…

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