Wanfa Daojun, starting from the Little Cloud and Rain Technique

Chapter 543 Spirit Rhinoceros Refining Pill

The group turned and walked out of the main hall, some riding clouds and others wielding flying swords, flying towards Yingri Peak, where the teleportation array leading to Qingyun Immortal City was located.

The teleportation array connecting to the outside world must be guarded by disciples at all times. Yingri Peak is the location of the Law Enforcement Hall, and disciples are on duty at all times, making it very suitable for guarding the array.

Master Yuxiao led the way, and the others remained silent, creating a somewhat somber atmosphere.

The sect leader is now showing signs of aging; the wrinkles on his face are increasing, and his eyes are becoming cloudy.

When such a situation occurs to a Golden Core cultivator, everyone knows what it means: it signifies the decline of vital energy and blood, the depletion of lifespan, and that the cultivator's life is nearing its end.

The sect leader was the sect's first Golden Core cultivator. In the more than three hundred years since he took over as sect leader, the sect has achieved tremendous development.

He brought back the Five Elements Revolving Scripture from the Central Continent. This was once the core cultivation method of a major Nascent Soul sect, enabling the sect's cultivation methods below the Golden Core level to rival those of the major sects in the Central Continent.

In addition, the quality of the sect's two main spiritual veins has been successively improved, and the Golden Core inheritance has been stabilized.

It can be said that the sect leader paved the way for them to achieve the Golden Core stage. Without him, the possibility of everyone breaking through to the Golden Core stage would be greatly reduced.

They flew silently all the way to Yingri Peak, and the True Immortals stepped onto the teleportation array amidst the reverent gazes of their disciples.

The light distorted and changed, and the next moment everyone arrived at Qingyun Immortal City, thousands of miles away.

Master Yuxiao was the first to step off the teleportation array and said:
"The auction will officially begin at 1:15 PM. It's still early, so you can choose to rest here or go for a stroll on the merchant airship."

If you go to Wanbaoge before 7 PM and explain that you are attending the auction, someone will naturally guide you.

I'm planning to visit the talisman shops on the flying boat. Anyone want to come along?

Everyone readily agreed, but Ji An waved his hand and politely declined:

"I've chosen to rest here for a while, and then I'll join everyone later."

He had no immediate plans to shop and intended to wait until after the auction to make his own purchases.

Many things in the small world cannot be exposed, such as the jade pupa during the metamorphosis of the Soul-Devouring Insect. He wanted to ask if these things had any other uses.

The Crimson Flame Peak also raises Spirit-Devouring Insects, but they molt far fewer times than their counterparts in the Small World. Moreover, the jade pupae that form during molting have many variegated spots, far less pure and flawless than those in the Small World.

After the others left, Ji An went to the guest room, sat cross-legged on the futon, and focused his mind on the stone tortoise in his dantian.

[Master: Ji An]

【Daoyun: 0】

Spiritual Ability: Kan Spirit 635.9, Gen Spirit 28782.4, Zhen Spirit 7126.8, Xun Spirit 165.3, Kun Spirit 792.8, Qian Spirit 8962.4, Dui Spirit 1885.7, Li Spirit 128.5

[Spell: Spirit Sealing Technique (Perfect 42%)]

Spiritual Roar (Dacheng 82%)

The Thread-Pulling Mantra (Perfect 1%)

Earth Levee Ascension Mantra (Complete 74%)

Azure Dragon Water Moon Technique (97% complete)

Azure Sky Yangming Technique (Perfect 72%)

Yi Wood Divine Thunder (Great Success 55%)

Melting Gold Divine Fire Technique (Mastery 42%)

[Yi Wood Soul Stealing Technique (Mastery 11%)]

In the years of quiet cultivation within the sect, he was able to elevate the offensive spell, Gengjin Divine Thunder, to the Great Perfection level.

Currently, the spell takes about 0.5 seconds to cast, and its range is 50 feet in radius, allowing for precise strikes within 300 feet.

This makes it perfectly usable in actual combat. The attack power of the spell will continue to increase as the cultivation level improves, which is the true meaning of cultivators practicing spells.

For example, when Ji An uses the Cold Wind Technique, a Qi Refining stage spell, he can release a wind belt with a width of forty to fifty feet. A large number of Foundation Establishment stage cultivators who come into contact with it will have their blood frozen instantly and die.

Aside from their natal magic weapon, Golden Core cultivators need to constantly upgrade their magic weapons to maintain sufficient attack power, while practicing spells is a one-time solution, which is very worthwhile for Ji An.

He disconnected from the stone tortoise and took out a jade slip, sticking it to his forehead.

This is a third-order talisman inheritance obtained from Red Rock Immortal City. Now, third-order spirit trees are being cultivated one after another in Crimson Flame Peak and the small world. He can start refining third-order talisman paper to prepare for drawing mind-stabilizing talismans.

The above describes a very simple and crude method for making talismans: peel off the bark of a third-tier spiritual plant, draw a talisman with cinnabar, apply a prepared secret medicine to the talisman, and then reattach the bark to the spiritual tree.

As the talisman is constantly nourished by the spiritual plants, its power will increase day by day, which is equivalent to the spiritual plants nurturing the talisman at all times.

These kinds of talismans are called treasure talismans in the cultivation world because they are made from tree bark taken from spiritual plants, so they do not cause any conflict.

However, a single spiritual plant can only support a limited number of talismans, and the five elements attribute of the spiritual plant must be consistent with the five elements attribute of the talisman.

If a spiritual plant carries too many talismans, it will affect its growth; if it is a fruit tree, it will affect the quantity and quality of the fruit it bears.

A third-tier spiritual plant can support one to three treasure talismans, depending on the thickness of its trunk.

Ji An did some calculations and figured that once the spiritual plants in the small world had grown up, he would have a considerable number of treasure talismans.

In that case, it would be commonplace for the weak to overcome the strong by transcending different realms.

However, this is equivalent to a "pay-to-win" gameplay; each talisman thrown out is equivalent to throwing out a large number of high-grade spirit stones.

He wouldn't have done this unless it was absolutely necessary.

In the traditional method, the normal production of third-tier talisman paper is made by using the leaves of various third-tier spiritual plants, along with some spiritual herbs as auxiliary materials.

The principle is the same as making talisman paper using talisman grass. The technical difficulty is relatively low. The difficulty lies in collecting materials, but for Ji An, the difficulty level is very low and will only decrease over time.

He studied the inheritance carefully several times, recording the materials of various auxiliary materials and cinnabar on paper.

At the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), Ji An arrived at Wanbaoge and said to the steward who came to greet him:

"I'm here to attend the auction."

The deacon's face immediately showed respect, and he said gently:

"Please follow me, senior."

Today's auction is attended by Golden Core cultivators. Although the abilities of Golden Core cultivators from the Western Continent are somewhat less than those of cultivators from the Central Continent, those who have achieved the Golden Core stage are among the most outstanding individuals.

Ji An followed the steward up to the third floor and entered an elegantly decorated hall, where a dozen or so cultivators were sitting in twos and threes.

He saw his fellow disciples sitting together, with Master Yuxiao and Lin Jiuxiao talking, while Lin Qiubai and his disciples were resting with their eyes closed.

He walked over and sat down. Master Yuxiao smiled and said:

"We have a great harvest today, you should come with us. I never buy things extravagantly."

Ji An smiled and asked:

"Tell me, what good stuff did you buy?"

Master Yuxiao glanced around and began to transmit his voice:
"The Heavenly River Sword Technique is a Golden Core level cultivation method, along with some inheritances in weapon crafting, formations, beast taming, puppetry, alchemy, and talisman making. This will greatly enrich the sect's inheritance at the Chaoyuan stage and below. In addition, we have purchased two ancient pill formulas for refining Golden Core level pills."

Ji An frowned slightly. Only pill formulas from 100,000 years ago can be called ancient pill formulas. The environment of the cultivation world has changed considerably since then, so it is still uncertain whether the pill formulas are still applicable.

"Senior brother, the ancient elixir formula seems a bit unreliable."

Master Yuxiao shook his head slightly, "I have no expectation that the pill formula will have any practical use. I only hope that the alchemists of the sect can learn the way of refining pills based on the pill formula, so as to create usable pill formulas."

To create a pill formula, one must study the properties and pharmacology of the medicines, which is precisely what the Golden Spirit Sect and the Western Continent forces lack.

The prescription itself is not the key; the key is to learn the pharmacology from it.

It's very difficult to obtain a formula for a Golden Core level pill through normal means, so we can only explore it in this roundabout way.

The achievements of the Ministry of Agriculture in recent years gave him hope; the sect's medicine garden had begun cultivating medicinal herbs for cultivators at the Golden Core level.

Several hundred years later, these medicinal materials will reach the age required for use, and we can begin to create truly applicable prescriptions.

Ji An nodded slightly. Whether it's an individual or a force, the most important thing is to rely on oneself. If you rely on external aid and others don't provide it, you'll be helpless.

Studying the properties and pharmacology of medicinal herbs is a long and arduous process. It will not yield results in a short time and will instead become a burden. However, if one can persevere in the long term and the sect remains standing, one day it will bear fruit.

Thinking of this, Ji An remembered the matter of "patents". The sect should also give a stipend to the cultivators who do research, starting with the most basic research.

After chatting for a while, the conversation turned to the auction, and Master Yuxiao said:
"As is customary, this auction should be a special event for Golden Core cultivators from the Western Continent. This year, Yuanhe Mountain is not participating, so the event will be less lively."

Ji An smiled, "It's good to have one less competitor. What are our goals for tonight?"

"We have two main objectives: to acquire as many Golden Core level pills as possible; and to acquire Golden Core-forming pills, as our sect has no reserves left."

As for the rest, let fate decide.

A moment later, a graceful female cultivator dressed in a jade-green dress walked onto the auction stage, her gentle voice echoing throughout the venue.

"Welcome fellow Daoists. I am Hua Yun Zhenren, the head of the Merchant Alliance, and I will be hosting this auction today."

Each bid in the auction will have a minimum increment of fifty high-grade spirit stones. If fellow cultivators are short of spirit stones and need to exchange them for resources, the appraisers from Wanbaoge will be responsible for setting the price.

"Now, please welcome our first item for auction."

A pretty female cultivator in a light blue palace dress walked up carrying a tray covered with red silk and on which sat a small bronze bell.

Hua Yun Zhenren picked up the small bell with her delicate hands and made a hand seal. The bronze bell continued to grow larger, and runes appeared on its surface as it rotated continuously.

"This is a third-tier low-grade magic weapon, the Soul-Sweeping Bell, which can unleash a soul attack and stun the enemy."

The magic weapon's effective attack range is two hundred feet, and in actual testing, it can stun a cultivator at the third level of the Golden Core stage for half a breath.

"If it's a battle between cultivators, this distance is a bit short, but it's still very useful for dealing with demonic beasts."

For cultivators who are strong in both offense and defense but relatively weak in defense, it is an even more powerful weapon for attack.

The starting bid for this magical artifact is 1,500 high-grade spirit stones. Interested fellow cultivators are welcome to place their bids.

Ji An was not interested in this; he possessed the secret technique of mental roaring.

Lin Jiuxiao showed an interested expression. Although Ji An had submitted his mental roar to the sect, it would be difficult to practice it to the point where he could deal with Golden Core level cultivators.

However, he only thought about it; the price of 1,500 high-grade spirit stones was far beyond his means.

Having broken through to the Golden Core stage not many years ago, he currently lacks the ability to purchase magical treasures.

"One thousand five hundred dollars."

A cultivator from the Central Continent shouted. He was a weapon refiner and was very interested in magical restrictions that could unleash soul attacks.

"One thousand five hundred and fifty yuan."

There was competition, but it wasn't fierce. Prices rose and fell, and finally, it was sold for 1,900 high-grade spirit stones.

Master Huayun took out several jade bottles and placed them on the table, saying:

"The auction will now begin with a set of pills, namely the Spirit Rhinoceros Refining Pills, which can help early-stage Golden Core cultivators improve their cultivation. There are three bottles in total, with ten pills in each bottle. The starting bid is 1,500 high-grade spirit stones."

Master Chongxuan of Falling Maple Valley was the first to bid, "Two thousand coins."

The starting price for elixirs is usually very low, but the final price far exceeds the starting price. Any cultivator who aspires to improve their cultivation level will not miss it if they have enough spirit stones.

Master Yuxiao immediately raised the price, "Two thousand five hundred."

There are four Golden Core Stage 1 cultivators in the sect who have an extremely high demand for this type of pill, so we can't miss this opportunity.

Master Chongxuan pursed his lips. "Two thousand six hundred yuan."

"Three thousand."

Master Yuxiao brought most of the sect's resources with him this time, so it's impossible for him to make any concessions.

The price of three thousand was already a significant premium, so Master Chongxuan opened his mouth but gave up in despair.

He also knew about the situation of the Golden Spirit Sect and understood that it would be difficult to compete with them.

"Three thousand high-grade spirit stones, is there a higher bid?"

Hua Yun Zhenren did not say anything seductive. A cultivator who has become a Golden Core cultivator would not make a rash offer based on a few seductive words.

After confirming that no one else was bidding, Hua Yun Zhenren called out:

"make a deal!"

There were only a dozen or so items up for auction, and the auction proceeded quickly, ending in half an hour. Master Huayun announced:

"An exchange session will be held next. Fellow Daoists who are interested can stay, while others may leave in an orderly manner."

No one left, and the exchange officially began. Ji An watched from the sidelines and saw that the cultivators from the Central Continent had brought out many strange and unusual things. He suspected their intentions.

An hour later, the exchange ended.

True Immortal Yuxiao and True Immortal Chongxuan stayed behind last. With grave expressions, they approached the head of the Merchant Alliance and said:
"Fellow Daoist, based on past practice, this time they should be auctioning off Golden Core cultivators."

At least one Golden Core pill must be obtained; one cannot wait until a disciple needs it before thinking of purchasing one, by which time it will be too late.

Master Huayun revealed a business-like smile, "Fellow Daoist, there is no precedent for auctioning Golden Core pills. I apologize that the alliance did not have enough Golden Core pills this time."

"However, the various sects of the Western Continent had an agreement with the Merchant Alliance that they would auction off Golden Core cultivators every sixty years."

"We will not break our promise, but because the alchemist of the Merchant Alliance who is refining the Golden Core pill made an unavoidable mistake, there is nothing we can do but make up for it next time."

The argument ended inconclusively, and Master Yuxiao sighed and left. Chongxuan nodded slightly to Master Huayun and quickly followed after him.

Hua Yun Zhenren's eyes flashed with amusement. The Merchant Alliance's initial plan was to auction two Golden Core Pills, but after receiving some news, she decided to cancel it at the last minute.

(End of this chapter)