Cultivating Immortality: Starting from Ferrying Passengers

Chapter 163 The Three Friends of Winter
Upon hearing about the Foundation Establishment Pill, many late-stage Qi Refining cultivators' eyes lit up. This auction clearly intended to use the Foundation Establishment Pill as the first major product, aiming to thoroughly stir up everyone's emotions.

Without a doubt, they succeeded. Fang Jingxuan's gaze shifted slightly, and the atmosphere at the scene was even more boisterous than before.

"One thousand one hundred mid-grade spirit stones!"

Immediately, someone made a bid. Fang Jingxuan looked in the direction of the voice and found that it was just a Qi Refining cultivator. He wondered how someone could be so rich.

“One thousand one hundred and thirty mid-grade spirit stones.”

"1,300 mid-grade spirit stones."

In the blink of an eye, this high-grade Foundation Establishment Pill was speculated to be worth 1,300 mid-grade pills. This price was beyond Fang Jingxuan's means, so although he was envious, he could only watch as the price rose higher and higher.

There were about three or four hundred cultivators present, ninety percent of whom were late-stage Qi Refining cultivators. Fang Jingxuan didn't know how so many late-stage Qi Refining cultivators could emerge from this small South Sea.

A high-grade Foundation Establishment Pill can increase the success rate of a Qi Refining cultivator's Foundation Establishment by about 40%, which is already a very high probability.

Foundation Building Pills of this quality are extremely rare. It often takes six or seven refining processes to produce even one superior-grade pill.

The most common types are naturally inferior and low-grade pieces, while medium-grade pieces are also rare. However, two batches can reliably produce one or two pieces, so the price is still reasonable.

Even a low-grade Foundation Establishment Pill can sell for three hundred mid-grade spirit stones, so how could a high-grade Foundation Establishment Pill only be worth a thousand mid-grade spirit stones? Fang Jingxuan estimated that seventeen or eighteen hundred mid-grade spirit stones would be its normal range.

Sure enough, with the bidding, the price of this high-grade Foundation Establishment Pill quickly reached over 1,600 mid-grade pills, and at this price range, there were very few cultivators bidding.

For an ordinary late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, accumulating a thousand or so mid-grade spirit stones is already quite difficult, while a cultivator who can produce seventeen or eight hundred mid-grade spirit stones is basically someone with connections.

Ultimately, this superior Foundation Establishment Pill was purchased by a male cultivator in the late Qi Refining stage with a feminine touch for over 1,900 mid-grade spirit stones. Then, a cultivator from the auction house led him to the backstage area to complete the transaction on the spot.

Amidst the sighs of regret from most cultivators, the second item was also presented. Although it was also exquisite, it paled in comparison to the Foundation Establishment Pill.

As each item was presented for auction, Fang Jingxuan viewed them with the intention of broadening his horizons. Although most of the items were quite suitable for him, Fang Jingxuan understood that he should only spend his spirit stones on the most crucial things.

And so, Fang Jingxuan watched as each item was sold. He had to admit that this once-a-decade auction was truly high-end; so far, after dozens of items had been put up for auction, none of them had failed to sell.

Midway through the auction, when the auctioneer announced the auction of the items for sale, Fang Jingxuan listened even more attentively.

After more than a dozen items were auctioned together, Fang Jingxuan finally heard the voice he had been hoping for.

"The next item to be auctioned is a set of three friends of the year: a second-tier low-grade [Charming Spirit Pine], a second-tier low-grade [Heart-Piercing Bamboo], and a second-tier low-grade [Proud Bone Plum]. This set of three friends of the year together is a second-tier mid-grade [Evergreen Proud Bone]. It will not be sold separately. The starting price is 180 mid-grade spirit stones, and each bid must be at least 5 mid-grade spirit stones higher."

Fang Jingxuan's eyes lit up and became sharp; he was determined to get this item.

Currently, Fang Jingxuan's natal companion is still the first-grade high-quality [Longevity Cold Cypress]. This companion was effective when Fang Jingxuan was in the early to mid-stages of cultivation, but now that Fang Jingxuan has reached the Qi Refining Perfection stage, this companion is obviously no longer suitable.

While the current second-tier companion item is only a low-grade second-tier item, it represents a qualitative improvement for Fang Jingxuan. Furthermore, this [Rhyme Spirit Cold Pine] has two other companion items that resonate with it, subtly enhancing its own spiritual charm. Since pine and cypress belong to the same family and share the same meaning, the [Rhyme Spirit Cold Pine] can be directly used on the [Thousand-Year Cypress] natal item.

"Two hundred mid-grade spirit stones!"

Fang Jingxuan looked over and saw that a cultivator had made the first bid, followed by three or four others.

It's clear that these people's destiny is most likely to be one of the Three Friends of Winter, but compared to the bidding frenzy for other items, the competition for the Three Friends of Winter is not particularly fierce.

A dozen or so breaths later, the price of the Three Friends of Winter had reached 260 medium-grade pills, a price that was already far too high.

A single low-grade second-tier spirit stone normally costs between three and five thousand low-grade spirit stones; if converted to a mid-grade spirit stone, it would cost between thirty and fifty.

The preciousness of the Three Friends of Winter lies in the fact that the three ginsengs can influence each other. Originally priced at a mid-grade level of a hundred or so, the price has been inflated to double by this method.

At this moment, Fang Jingxuan had not yet made a bid. When he saw that the final price was still around 260, he directly called out a price of 300 before the auctioneer made a decision.

"Three hundred mid-grade spirit stones for the first time! This is a very rare item that can influence each other. With the support of the other two items, the main item is a mid-grade second-tier item."

"Three hundred mid-grade spirit stones, second time, are there any more bids?"

Above him, Fang Jingxuan wished he could shut the auctioneer up, but unfortunately the other party was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and he couldn't beat him.

"Alright, three hundred mid-grade spirit stones for the third time. Congratulations, fellow Daoist. Please proceed to the back to complete the transaction. This [Evergreen Unyielding Bones] combination is yours."

Immediately, a cultivator from the auction house stepped forward to lead Fang Jingxuan to the back of the auction to complete the spirit stone transaction.

Fang Jingxuan counted out the corresponding spirit stones from his storage bag and handed them over to the other party. Thus, the handover of the Three Friends of Winter was completed.

Fang Jingxuan looked at the three kinds of ginseng in front of him. They were pine bonsai trees, each over a meter tall, with evergreen branches and leaves, upright posture, and the appearance of being surrounded by layers of clouds. They were also strangely shaped and leaning.

A jade-white bamboo with distinct roots and eighteen segments, and a slender, solitary plum blossom exuding a quiet, subtle fragrance.

After a brief inspection, Fang Jingxuan felt that his innate talent was subtly compatible with this pine bonsai, and a sense of joy immediately welled up in his heart.

Afterwards, Fang Jingxuan put all three items into his storage bag, then resumed his blank expression, put on his cloak, and went to the auction venue again.

When Fang Jingxuan returned to his seat, the auction was not yet over for the Tongcan special session. However, Fang Jingxuan had already obtained his desired Tongcan and immediately stopped paying close attention to it.

Unless a second-tier quality Golden Cicada Remnant appears, no matter how good other items are, they will be useless to Jing Xuan.

Half an hour later, the special session for fellow practitioners ended, and next came the spiritual herbs and plants. At this time, Fang Jingxuan regained his energy, and the main ingredient for refining the Foundation Establishment Pill, the 'Mysterious Spirit Fruit', would most likely appear.

(End of this chapter)