Immortality and cultivation begin with drawing talismans.

Chapter 192 Auction [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

"Fellow Daoist, this is a second-grade high-quality pill."

"Okay, let's switch!"

During the market fair, Lin Chang'an changed his identity every day, exchanging all the talismans and pills he had accumulated over this period for the materials and spirit stones he needed for cultivation.

"The resources from the monsters here are much cheaper, and even magical artifacts and spiritual weapons are extremely cheap."

In the Yue Kingdom, an ordinary spiritual artifact starts at 500 mid-grade spirit stones, but here it starts at 400.

This time, he also cleaned up many of the shady magical artifacts he had kept in the Yue Kingdom.

Although Huang Shaohai and the Wang family's things weren't very valuable, they were still better than them gathering dust.

Previously, they were afraid of being targeted in Yue Kingdom, since Huang Shaohai was involved with Li Huo Palace, and the Wang family was even more involved with the secret realm.

Now that he's here, he has nothing to worry about.

The grand market fair on Five Dragon Island attracted countless cultivators of all kinds.

……

The day the auction began.

In the sky, various magical lights flickered.

Outside Five Dragon Island, spirit ships were moored, and countless merchant guilds had arrived.

Meanwhile, cultivators riding spirit beasts and flying swords were everywhere on the island.

"Good heavens, look over there, the cultivators from the Seven Kingdoms Alliance are here."

"What's the big deal? The Long family on Five Dragons Island is no less powerful, and they are united as one."

Lin Chang'an, mingling in the crowd, looked enviously at the Core Formation cultivator who was surrounded by admirers.

The Core Formation cultivators from the seven kingdoms greeted the two island lords of Five Dragons Island with smiles on their faces.

Although the Seven Kingdoms Alliance has a large number of Core Formation cultivators, most of them are at the early or middle stage of Core Formation.

After all, the environment of the seven kingdoms is relatively peaceful, but their resources are also scarce.

Moreover, after arriving here, they spread out to various places, forming what can only be called an alliance. Everyone knows that under the premise of absolute interests, forming an alliance is a joke.

"Haha, welcome fellow Daoists from the Seven Kingdoms Alliance."

The two late-stage Core Formation island lords of Five Dragons Island, appearing as elderly men, showed no concern for the Seven Kingdoms Alliance despite their smiling faces.

After all, the Seven Nations Alliance's development here has touched the interests of many people.

These families and sects are no pushovers either.

Moreover, they are loyal to the Azure Sea Palace.

"Island Lord, you are an elder of the outer sea of ​​the Azure Sea Palace, you are too kind."

Looking at the high and mighty Core Formation cultivator, Lin Chang'an secretly encouraged himself.

One day, he too will become a Core Formation cultivator.

"The auction is about to start, let's hurry."

"Go for a walk."

Disguised and blending into the crowd, Lin Chang'an entered the auction hall with a smile on his face.

However, upon entering the venue, the dark atmosphere prevented divine sense from probing, and each person received a disguise mask.

This time, unlike in Tianxuan City, his status as a second-tier high-grade talisman master meant he had a private room at the auction.

Now they can only sit in the main hall of the meeting place with most of the monks.

If he can prove that he has thousands of mid-grade spirit stones in his storage bag and that he is a second-tier high-grade talisman master, it won't be difficult for him to enter the private room.

"This place is different from Tianxuan City, so it's best to keep a low profile." Lin Chang'an said calmly, secretly observing the array formation of the auction.

……

The auction hall was soon filled with people.

Immediately afterwards, a well-to-do middle-aged cultivator stepped out from the auction stage, but he exuded the aura of a pseudo-core cultivator.

This secretly alarmed many cultivators who had only been here for a few years.

"I am Long Qian of the Long family! Greetings, fellow Daoists. I am the host of this auction, and I hope that everyone can purchase the items they desire..."

The fake cultivator spoke politely and made some pleasantries, which made Lin Chang'an nod in approval.

The Long family is also the family of the island lord of Five Dragons Island. It is said that as long as the Long family guards the island for another hundred years, they will be able to obtain the conditions to live in the inner sea.

Immediately following the sound of a gong, the auction officially began!
"Ten bottles of second-tier low-grade pills, ten each for healing, restoring mana, and enhancing cultivation. Price per bottle..."

The fact that a second-tier item was offered right at the start made Lin Chang'an sigh with emotion, realizing that most of the people attending the auction today were probably Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Even if a Qi Refining cultivator comes, it's probably because they're accompanying their elders to broaden their horizons.

"The Blazing Sword, a spiritual weapon used by Foundation Establishment cultivators, starts at four hundred mid-grade spirit stones, with each bid increment not less than..."

As expected, every item at the auction was a masterpiece, making Lin Chang'an feel that the trip was well worth it.

However, he had no shortage of talismans and pills. In fact, he even saw several bottles of pills that he had brought into the market.

As the atmosphere grew increasingly heated, even a second-tier Lesser Barrier-Breaking Pill appeared.

Many Foundation Establishment cultivators have been stuck in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment for many years. Although they have no hope of forming a core, they still want to try their best in the later stage of Foundation Establishment.

"Next up is a top-grade spiritual weapon, the heavy halberd. Its power goes without saying, but fellow cultivators should bid with caution, as this halberd is more suitable for body cultivators..."

With the appearance of all the spiritual artifacts used by body cultivators, Lin Chang'an was even more amazed that the trip had been worthwhile.

Back in Tianxuan City, body cultivators were practically nonexistent, but here, there were quite a few cultivators bidding.

Moreover, top-grade spiritual artifacts were being produced one after another, which were never sold to the public in Tianxuan City.

Then, a variety of treasures appeared one after another, including jade from the body of a sea beast and various treasures from the deep sea, all of which Lin Chang'an had never heard of before.

"A top-grade spiritual artifact costs three to four thousand mid-grade spirit stones, while a near-third-grade talisman brush and alchemy furnace are priced similarly."

After all, top-grade spiritual artifacts are forged using the same techniques as those used for forging magical treasures, and the materials also include those for magical treasures.

Lin Chang'an pondered to himself. He had only been here for two years, and his usual cultivation expenses were quite high.

He currently only has a little over four thousand mid-grade spirit stones in his storage bag, so it seems he can only prioritize buying a spirit brush.

After all, his priority right now is to raise his talisman skills to the third rank.

"Sure enough, I only realized after arriving here that I was still a penniless wretch."

Lin Chang'an sighed softly. Compared to many skilled cultivators, he was quite wealthy.

However, compared to some cultivators with powerful backgrounds, he still lacked sufficient foundation.

There are also some cultivators who hunt demonic beasts. These people are rich at night and poor at night. They might have a stroke of luck, but he wouldn't be envious of them because they risk their lives for them.

"However, the difference in foundation will only increase with the level of cultivation. In the future, I alone will be able to rival an entire sect."

After all, the various arts of cultivating immortality become more valuable and rarer as one progresses through the ages.

"Next up for auction is a near-third-tier spirit brush, with a starting price of three thousand three hundred mid-grade spirit stones!"

"Three thousand four hundred!"

"Three thousand five hundred!"

When the magic brush he needed appeared, Lin Chang'an started bidding, but he gave up immediately after the price exceeded 3,700.

"Anyway, there are more than one or two near-third-grade spirit pens, so there's no need to waste another one or two hundred mid-grade spirit stones."

He now has too many places where he needs to spend spirit stones, which forces Lin Chang'an to be very careful with his money.

Even after returning home, he would carefully calculate the income from Lingtian, even though the possibility of being ripped off was very low.

After a short while, when the second near-third-tier spirit brush appeared, Lin Chang'an won it with 3,700 mid-grade spirit stones.

In an instant, the spirit stones in the storage bag were gone.

"I really miss the days when I ran a black market in Tianxuan City."

Looking at the magic pen in his hand, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic.

Back in the day, the black market was incredibly lucrative; now, here, I can only earn spirit stones with my own hands. But every gain comes with a loss.

Just then, a bottle of pills appeared, causing many Foundation Establishment cultivators present to show their eagerness.

"This is a near-third-tier pill that can enhance cultivation. All the materials used are third-tier. It was accidentally caused by a third-tier alchemist who made a big drop in the quality of this pill."

However, among near-third-tier pills, this is definitely a top-grade one. The starting bid is now…”

The auction hall immediately erupted in excitement, with many cultivators rushing to bid, and some even bringing out materials of equal value.

Lin Chang'an also had some desire; if he had this bottle of pills, he might be able to break through to the late Foundation Establishment stage faster.

However, due to his lack of funds, the bottle of pills eventually ended up in the hands of a cultivator who was exchanging them for demon beast resources.

"Don't be envious, they risked their lives to get there."

Lin Chang'an shook his head secretly.

In the Demon Beast Sea Abyss, there is never a shortage of three to five Foundation Establishment cultivators working together to hunt demon beasts.

There are even some sects and clans where a dozen or so Foundation Establishment cultivators work together, using formations to assist in hunting down third-tier demonic beasts.

Although demonic beasts are powerful, the strength of human cultivators comes from weakness, which is why they rely on talismans, pills, formations, and magical artifacts.

After the auction ended, countless cultivators filed out of the venue under the cover of an array.

But the grand event on Five Dragons Island has only just begun; this auction is only the first one.

The auction also provided a secure venue where Foundation Establishment cultivators could trade goods discreetly.

However, after looking at the spirit stones in his pocket and the high-grade materials that he hadn't traded, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.

"I'm still poor. I'll go back and cultivate diligently this time, strive to break through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment as soon as possible, and then plan to form the Core Formation."

Lin Chang'an wandered around the bustling market streets, finally buying a high-level illustrated book of sea monsters and gathering some recent intelligence before preparing to return.

"So you're saying nothing major has happened recently?"

Looking at the latest intelligence, Lin Chang'an was speechless.

Sea monsters attacked merchant ships, causing heavy losses to a certain powerful clan. Furthermore, a Golden Core cultivator ventured deep into the Demon Beast Abyss, and his fate remains unknown, though he is suspected of dying at the hands of a demon beast.

Perhaps we can obtain his legacy by following the direction in which this Golden Core cultivator disappeared.

Natural disasters strike, and the treacherous cultivators seize the opportunity to wreak havoc...

Looking at the intelligence report, Lin Chang'an sighed helplessly.

If this were during the Warring States period, none of these would have been considered major issues.

As it turns out, it's not a big deal here.

However, after seeing some intelligence about the nearby sea area, Lin Changna couldn't help but frown slightly.

"No wonder Five Dragons Island holds a market fair every ten years. It turns out that this sea area is rich in giant bone sea fish beasts, which migrate and wreak havoc every ten years or so."

The grand event on Five Dragon Island was clearly a preparation for this beast tide.

The Giant Bone Sea Fish Beast is enormous in size, with incredibly hard scales, making it extremely difficult to deal with.

"It is also an excellent material for refining weapons, and its meat is delicious. Every beast tide is a carnival for countless cultivators, but also a disaster."

After reading this information, Lin Chang'an frowned. There really wasn't any way to control this sea monster.

We can only fight hard.

"However, based on the timeline, this beast tide is still a year and a half away, so there's no rush."

……

The Five Dragons Island Market Fair attracted many cultivators, but just as many cultivators left after purchasing their desired items.

After all, he didn't have many spirit stones left, so staying here would just be pointless.

"Fellow Daoist, are you leaving? If all goes well, we can travel together."

"Anyone interested in hunting monsters together?"

Before leaving, many cultivators gathered others to travel together, or they made a pact to hunt demonic beasts together.

Lin Chang'an, however, was not so idle and immediately flew away on his sword.

Many cultivators also secretly saw the departing cultivators.

"Boss, that kid seemed to have left alone just now."

"Don't mess around. You dare to mess with anyone who dares to travel alone here? And they might even be trying to lure cultivators like you into a trap."

An experienced middle-aged Foundation Establishment cultivator, upon seeing the young man's greed, gave a cold snort as a warning, his brows furrowed with seriousness.

Being a cultivator who has undergone tribulation is not an easy task.

"Boss, is it really that amazing? If the five of us join forces, even a near-third-tier demonic beast will have to submit."

The young Foundation Establishment cultivator grumbled a few words and watched the other cultivators leave with some regret.

Sometimes hunting cultivators is much easier than hunting demonic beasts.

However, the cultivators who came here were all extremely cautious. With the beast tide imminent, they did not want to cause any unnecessary trouble.

……

The journey back was fraught with danger but ultimately safe. The cultivators they encountered along the way exchanged wary glances.

Seeing Lin Chang'an traveling alone, some people thought it was a trap, while others thought it was a sign of his skill and daring.

Anyway, we didn't encounter any random robbers.

Or rather, these cultivators who have undergone tribulations are more likely to value their lives and will only take action if they have some basic judgment.

Halfway through the flight, Lin Chang'an received a communication talisman from Lao Hu.

Old Hu has emerged from seclusion and successfully broken through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

They returned all the way to Jade Spirit Island.

"Old Hu, congratulations on your great progress in cultivation!"

"Don't say that, Lao Lin. Your cultivation is not bad either. Let's not be so modest."

After the two arrived at the cave dwelling, they saw that Lin Chang'an had also left a letter outside the cave, and Old Hu's expression changed slightly.

“This place is really going through a lot of trouble. When you weren’t here, Old Lin, a cultivator secretly came to visit. This is a letter he delivered.”

Lin Chang'an, puzzled, reached out and took the letter left by some cultivator in his cave, as well as the letter handed to him by Old Hu.

It was a letter sent by the Lu family, and the contents of the letter were very simple.

He was referring to the grudges between the Lu family and the three clans, hoping they would not interfere, and promising to send them generous gifts in the future if they were willing to help.

Offer substantial benefits, such as the profits offered to local island chambers of commerce, along with the island's own profits.

After reading the two letters, Lin Chang'an raised an eyebrow.

He had no desire to get involved in this family feud.

All he wants now is to cultivate in peace.

"Old Lin, that's right, that's what I think too. Why should we get involved in this? As for the promises of great benefits, they sound nice, but they're all just empty promises."

When he saw that Lin Chang'an chose to ignore him, Lao Hu smiled and waved his hand, indicating that he didn't want to get involved.

But it's not necessarily the case for others, though that's irrelevant to them.

They only wanted to cultivate peacefully, and perhaps it was better for the three races on the island to coexist now.

The two then discussed the Dao, with Lin Chang'an listening to Lao Hu's experience after his breakthrough, and the two then steered the conversation toward the beast tide a year and a half later.

For the two, the beast tide was also a good opportunity to wait and see.

After all, it's much safer to have sea monsters come to you than to go hunting.

　Thank you to fellow Daoist 'Book Friend 140620175015126' for the 100 spirit stones reward.

　　By the way, I'd like to ask for your monthly votes, and I also want to thank all the fellow cultivators who have supported me.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)