Wanfa Daojun, starting from the Little Cloud and Rain Technique

Chapter 487 Soul Tempering Pill

Ji An changed the subject, saying:
"There's something I'm curious about: why do you trust me so much, fellow Daoist?"

He and Gu Tai had a good relationship, but it was only a matter of mutual respect between two artisans who liked each other.

Essentially, their relationship was just that of clients, or at most, a relatively close client relationship.

It's somewhat unreasonable that the other party would be willing to let his most valued grandson accompany him to the Western Continent.

Gu Tai was silent for a moment, then said:
"Of course I need to make sure I haven't entrusted the wrong person before making a decision. I'm telling you the truth, fellow Daoist, please don't be angry."

I asked a trusted friend to go to the Golden Spirit Sect in the Western Continent to investigate your background.

"The position of Head of the Department of Agriculture is a good match for the abilities you have demonstrated."

He decided to tell the truth because, although they hadn't spent much time together, he knew the other person's character well, which was the pride of a truly capable craftsman.

If things are explained clearly, there's still room for discussion; but if there's deception, it's the end of the relationship.

Upon hearing the explanation, Ji An felt a momentary discomfort, after all, someone was secretly investigating him.

However, if he were in that situation, he would make a similar choice.

Entrusting your own grandson to a 'friend' you've only known for a few years is not a desperate act; only a fool would do that.

Gu Tai coughed lightly and said:
"I know this is very impolite, so I'm going to give you a gift to compensate you for the harm you've suffered."

"I crafted the Heavenly Soaring Armor's faceplate for you, fellow Daoist, free of charge."

There's no such thing as a free lunch. He wanted to ask the other party to take care of his grandson, and this gift was just right.

"It's a bit expensive, but I agreed."

Ji An smiled. He understood that the other party's agreement was necessary for him to feel at ease accepting it.

This saves us several dozen high-grade spirit stones, which is no small amount.

He who accepts a favor is bound to be more attentive to his grandson's needs.

The price for crafting the mask is 40 high-grade spirit stones, but excluding the labor cost, the material cost is at most 20-something high-grade spirit stones.

In addition, doing so would also benefit the sect.

In Ji An's view, the other party's actions resembled the diversified investments of a family power. The Golden Spirit Sect and Red Rock Immortal City were far apart and would not affect the development of the various branches.

Given the other party's superb craftsmanship, they should be able to pass on their skills to their grandson. The craftsmanship of talisman brushes and the Sky Soaring Armor are both excellent skills.

Even if his grandson does not hand over these ancestral skills to the sect, the sect's cultivators can still enjoy the benefits.

The sect doesn't have any very good masters at crafting talisman brushes, so close-fitting spiritual armor like the Sky Soaring Armor isn't mainstream in the cultivation world, but it still has a very good market if sold to body cultivators.

"Hehe, I will use the best materials to refine it. Now let me measure your size, fellow Daoist."

After saying that, Gu Tai took out a cloth bag and held it up:

"This is plaster, which can easily be used to sculpt the outline of your legs and face."

And so, Ji An held her breath and put her face into the basin full of plaster.

He used a layer of magic to protect his face, and not a single speck of plaster was applied to his body.

After the measurement was completed, Gu Tai casually asked:
"When will you return to the sect, fellow Daoist? Hongming is already twelve years old. The sooner he integrates into the new environment, the better."

"My agreement with the Wei family expires in a year, after which I will leave directly."

"I will go back to collect materials tomorrow. I will definitely finish refining the spiritual weapon before you leave. I will hold a farewell banquet for you at Zuixianju."

"Haha, I'll let my friends know the exact time I'm leaving a few days in advance, and then I can eat as much as I want after a few days of starvation."

"No problem, I will definitely satisfy you, fellow Daoist."

The two chatted for a while longer before Ji An took his leave.

Three months later, at the Hongyan Auction House.

This is the largest auction house in the Immortal City, named directly after the city, indicating its powerful backing.

Ji An took out the invitation and, guided by a waiter, entered a private room on the second floor of the auction house, from which he could overlook the auction stage.

This area is specifically for cultivators in the Chaoyuan stage, while the third floor is reserved for Golden Core cultivators.

The maid brought over some Soul Fruit, and then handed over a list, saying softly:
"Senior, this is the list of items for this auction. If you see anything you like, just bid on it."

As a VIP customer, you do not need to pledge spirit stones to prove your qualifications. After a successful bid, the auction house will deliver the item directly to you.

Those who maliciously bid but cannot produce the necessary bargaining chips will be punished by the Golden Core cultivators responsible for maintaining order.

Ji An chuckled and said, "No need for such a detailed explanation, I know what I'm doing."

The invitation was given to him by Wei Chengyuan. If he bid maliciously, he would offend not only the auction house but also his friend.

As far as he knew, malicious bidding was rare at auction houses, unless it was between two sworn enemies.

This kind of thing would seriously offend the auction house. In the territory of Red Rock Immortal City, he, as an outsider, has no right to be so arrogant.

Even if he had the power to be so arrogant, he wouldn't do that. Only an idiot would offend someone without any benefit to himself.

"Thank you for listening, senior. It's the rule, and I have to fulfill my duty to remind you."

The maid smiled sweetly and lit the incense.

A faint fragrance wafted, like smoke or mist. Ji An took a light breath and nodded secretly. It was a second-grade, low-level pine mist fragrance, a good thing for calming the mind and soothing the spirit.

The aroma is pure and authentic, without any other undesirable ingredients mixed in.

Some auction houses add exciting ingredients to incense to incite irrational bidding among competitors.

The maid turned and bowed slightly, then said:

"VIP clients can get more information about the auction items, and experienced clients can consult me ​​at any time."

If my senior doesn't want me to stay in the room, I can wait outside.

Ji An glanced through the auction items and nodded slightly:
"Serve him."

He made a hand seal to open the spirit beast pouch, summoned the golden-haired creature, and then closed his eyes to rest.

A moment later, a white-haired, youthful-looking cultivator walked onto the auction stage carrying a blue jade bell hanging on a red copper frame.

The jade bell was covered with talismans and radiated a warm, spiritual light, clearly indicating that it was a magical artifact.

He placed the jade bell on the table and took out a pure white jade mallet to tap it gently.

The ethereal chimes immediately spread, instantly reaching every corner of the auction house.

Ji An felt a jolt of energy, as if he had drunk an ice-cold spring on a hot summer day, and every pore of his body was filled with a sense of comfort.

He opened his eyes and looked at the cultivators on the auction stage.

After the three chimes, the cultivator dropped the jade mallet and proclaimed in a loud voice:

"Welcome, distinguished guests, to Hongyan Auction House. I am Yue Qingyun, the chief auctioneer of the auction house."

Without further ado, the auction officially begins. Our first item is the second-tier high-grade spiritual weapon, the Black Dragon Soul-Severing Sword.

Ji An was not interested in either offensive or defensive magical artifacts; he had already defined his own fighting style.

By manipulating the Five Elements Spirit Flags to intimidate others, one can utilize the powerful divine soul brought by the fusion of souls, as well as the far more vigorous life force fire brought by the stone tortoise.

With the added power of his powerful spells, he was confident he could dominate among those of the same cultivation level, and even defeating enemies across smaller cultivation levels was not out of the question. As cultivation levels continued to rise, a single smaller cultivation level could lead to a one-sided battle.

The higher the level of the cultivator, the more obvious this situation becomes.

Time is fair to everyone; those cultivators who reach the higher levels are all people with good fortune and opportunities.

Ji An remained unmoved, continuing to close his eyes and rest, as if all of this had nothing to do with him.

Magical artifacts, elixirs, and the like are of little use to him at this stage.

These were all carefully selected high-quality items, and the atmosphere at the auction was very lively. Only one item failed to sell.

Yue Qingyun shouted:

"The next item up for auction is the Soul Tempering Pill. I don't need to elaborate on how rare this pill is, which can enhance the power of the soul. Fellow Daoists in the Origin Stage, feel free to bid."

There are ten bottles in total, ten pills per bottle, to be auctioned separately. The starting bid is twenty high-grade spirit stones. The bidding for the first bottle begins now!

Ji An opened his eyes, sat up straight, and stared at the auction stage, which was his main target.

Upon hearing the starting bid, Ji An felt that the soul stones in his hand were quite valuable. Of course, he didn't have an urgent need for spirit stones right now, so he didn't need to sell his soul stones.

The bored maid immediately perked up; if the customers in the private room participated in the auction and won, she would also receive a reward.

She had been standing there for more than half an hour, while the seniors in the private room looked like they were there to sleep.

"Twenty-two high-grade spirit stones."

"twenty four."

"twenty five."

"Twenty-eight."

"thirty."

Ji An was dumbfounded. Was it really that attractive?!
His idea was just empty talk, because with his powerful soul, he didn't know the suffering of cultivators with average soul strength.

For example, in alchemy, a strong soul provides more precise control, making it easier to refine the essence of the elixir and better grasp other details.

This is why, although he didn't refine pills many times, his pill-refining ability surpassed that of most alchemists.

The price rose a bit more, and eventually no one continued bidding.

Yue Qingyun maintained a polite smile, but inwardly he was overjoyed. This price allowed him to estimate how much profit this batch of Soul Tempering Pills could bring.

He coughed discreetly in a low voice, then said loudly:

"Number 26 offered 32 high-grade spirit stones. Is there a higher offer?"

"Thirty-four yuan," Ji An immediately added two high-grade spirit stones, as waiting until the end to compete with others was not a wise decision.

Adding two dollars shows determination and reduces the risk of others adding more.

If someone else adds more, he'll have to consider whether to add more.

"Room number 17 is 34 yuan. Is there a higher price?"
"Gentlemen of alchemy, talisman-making, and array-formation skills should have a deeper understanding of the benefits of a powerful spiritual soul. Anyone else willing to raise the price?"

Yue Qingyun immediately became excited. When auctioning similar items multiple times, the price of the first item is very important, as it will affect the subsequent sales.

The first item was expensive, so the prices of the subsequent items couldn't be much lower. This price had already exceeded his expectations by quite a bit.

He initially estimated that thirty high-grade spirit stones would be enough to pass one level.

While Soul Tempering Pills are very important, they are not essential.

"Thirty-four spirit stones for the first time. Thirty-four spirit stones for the third time. Sold! Congratulations to the customer in room number seven. We will deliver the pills to the room shortly."

Yue Qingyun showed no sign of stopping. "Now we will begin the auction for the second bottle of Soul Tempering Pills."

Strike while the iron is hot and hold the auction while everyone's enthusiasm is still high to achieve higher returns. This is a trick he has learned from years of experience as an auctioneer.

Don't underestimate this seemingly insignificant little trick; it brought substantial profits to the auction house and to him personally.

Inside the private room, the maid was all smiles:

"Congratulations on winning the bid for the goods."

With this deal completed, she will receive a reward of several hundred spirit stones, which is a considerable income for her.

Soon, a cultivator from the auction house brought over a bottle of pills:
"Fellow Daoist, please examine it."

The newcomer was a female cultivator, who also possessed the cultivation level of the Chaoyuan stage.

Ji An did not use his divine sense to carefully sense the other party's specific cultivation level, as that would be too impolite. He took the jade bottle; the ten pills were not of the finest quality, and they should have been used internally.

He randomly took out three pills, scraped off some powder and put it in his mouth to taste. He immediately felt a cool sensation in his mind, which was very comfortable.

He nodded slightly. The pill was effective, but the exact extent of its effect would require swallowing the whole pill for a detailed comparison.

I don't know how much resistance these kinds of pills can cause. If they are, you might not be able to use up ten pills.

He readily took out the spirit stones to complete the transaction, and the female cultivator smiled and cupped her hands in greeting:
"Fellow Daoist, I take my leave now. I wish you success in winning the bid for your desired goods once again."

Next, each bottle of Soul Tempering Pill fetched a considerable price, with the lowest price being 32 high-grade spirit stones, and the last bottle even fetching a high price of 37 spirit stones.

Another half hour passed, and Yue Qingyun exclaimed with great emotion:
"Please welcome our final auction item, the Mid-Grade Third-Rank Spirit Fruit, the Night Purple Fruit, which is 1,500 years old. The starting bid is 350 high-grade spirit stones."

He didn't elaborate much; third-tier spiritual fruits are auction items targeted at Golden Core cultivators, those who know, know.

As soon as he finished speaking, a female cultivator came up carrying a tray covered with red silk, on which was a fist-sized purple spiritual fruit.

The surface appears smooth, dotted with numerous silver specks, resembling bright stars in the night sky.

Ji An showed an interested expression, not because he wanted to bid, but because he couldn't even afford the starting price.

The Night Purple Fruit is a spiritual fruit that grows in dark environments and is more associated with the earth element.

This is also a spiritual fruit that enhances the power of the soul. When refined into a pill, its effects are comparable to those of a third-grade high-quality soul-nourishing wood artifact.

This is a spiritual plant with very demanding growing conditions, and the success rate of artificial cultivation is very low.

The scene fell silent instantly, and the cultivators present held their breath, waiting for the big shots to compete.

"Hehe," a soft laugh broke the silence, and a cool voice said:

"Fellow Daoists are all quite reserved. Let me liven things up. Five hundred high-grade spirit stones."

A collective gasp swept through the crowd; the bid had increased by over a hundred high-grade spirit stones at once—they were determined to win.

Ji An raised an eyebrow slightly. He recognized the voice as belonging to Han Chi Zhenren from the enforcement team.

"Five hundred and twenty yuan."

The Cold Dragon Immortal replied calmly, "Six hundred yuan."

He was an alchemist, and he happened to have a batch of pill ingredients that required the Night Purple Fruit as the main ingredient.

The room fell silent again, and no one bid. In the end, the Cold Dragon Immortal won the auction.

Ji An stroked his chin, thinking that he should find an opportunity to pay his respects to the other party.

The seeds of the Nightshade Purple Fruit can be planted. The situation in the Calabash World is special, so it might be possible to successfully plant the Nightshade Tree.

(End of this chapter)