I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

"The appetizer is a top-tier magical artifact..."

Zhou Yuan sat in the corner, his face beneath the cloak showing no sign of anything amiss, but his heart was filled with anticipation for the upcoming auction.

"Starting price: 200 spirit stones; minimum increment: 10 spirit stones!"

The man in black on the stage spoke in a completely flat tone.

"Two hundred and one!"

"Two hundred and thirty!"

Bidding quickly ensued, and the Fiery Cloud Blade was ultimately won by a cultivator who was also at the Qi Refining stage, for 420 low-grade spirit stones.

Next, several more top-tier magical artifacts of excellent quality appeared.

Some were offensive, some were defensive, and without exception, they all sparked a fierce competition among the Qi Refining stage cultivators.

It wasn't until a magical artifact, entirely dark gold and with a blade nearly twice the width of an ordinary flying sword, was presented that Zhou Yuan truly perked up.

This sword is quite large and heavy in appearance, giving people a feeling of being as solid as a mountain at first glance.

"The Golden-Breaking Sword is a top-tier magic weapon. This sword is incomparably sharp and extremely lethal, capable of slicing through most defensive magic weapons of the same tier."

The auction house manager gave a brief introduction.

"Starting price: 600 low-grade spirit stones!"

The moment the reserve price was announced, the room quieted down considerably.

Six hundred spirit stones is beyond the means of most Qi Refining stage cultivators.

"Six hundred and ten."

"Six hundred and twenty."

After a few scattered bids, the price settled at 750 spirit stones.

No one spoke again.

The atmosphere became somewhat tense for a moment.

Beside Zhou Yuan, the cultivator at the twelfth level of Qi Refining seemed to be talking quietly with his companion.

"I heard that this broken golden sword contains a large amount of barite. Although it is sharp, it is too heavy and extremely slow to wield. It's hard to say whether it can even hit anyone in a battle..."

"That's right, no matter how powerful it is, it's useless if you can't hit the target. It's tasteless to use, but a pity to throw it away."

It turned out to be the case.

Zhou Yuan instantly realized that this sword had a flaw.

However, its sharpness and power are real, even comparable to those top-grade attack magic weapons!

This is just like the golden brick talisman that Han Li used in his past life.

Although it is extremely powerful, it takes a very long time to activate.

What might be a burden to others could be a burden to him.

"Eight hundred spirit stones."

Zhou Yuan calmly quoted a price, adding fifty spirit stones directly.

Upon hearing this price, the cultivators who had been hesitating immediately gave up.

In the end, Zhou Yuan easily acquired the exquisite top-tier magic weapon, the Gold-Breaking Sword, which was considered by others to have extremely low cost-effectiveness.

The transaction was completed quickly. Eight hundred spirit stones were exchanged for a powerful weapon, and Zhou Yuan felt that the deal was worthwhile.

The next item up for auction piqued Zhou Yuan's interest once again.

It was a close-fitting suit of silver-white armor with an antique design.

"The Bright Light Armor, a top-tier defensive magic weapon, can be worn directly on the body. Once activated, it forms a protective light shield with outstanding defensive capabilities. Starting price: 800 spirit stones!"

Defensive magical artifacts are already rarer than offensive ones, and armor-like magical artifacts that can be worn directly are even rarer.

The bidding immediately became intense.

"Eight hundred and fifty!"

"Nine hundred!"

"Nine hundred and twenty!"

The price climbed steadily and soon broke through the thousand mark.

Without hesitation, Zhou Yuan calmly spoke again when the price rose to 1,100 spirit stones.

"One thousand two hundred spirit stones."

He immediately increased the price by one hundred, demonstrating his determination to win.

Sure enough, the price made most of the Qi Refining stage cultivators who were still competing back down.

In the end, he successfully bid on the Mingguang Armor.

He made two consecutive moves, spending a total of two thousand low-grade spirit stones.

Finally, four or five gazes, some open and some hidden, fell upon Zhou Yuan's inconspicuous corner.

It's hard for others not to notice that a Qi Refining cultivator could so easily produce two thousand spirit stones.

"Which family's young master is so wealthy and powerful?"

"Could it be from the Fu family?"

Whispering voices rose again.

Zhou Yuan remained seated, even letting out a soft, slightly dismissive nasal sound.

This attitude, ironically, dispelled some of the suspicions of others.

Perhaps he is indeed a scion of a powerful family who has come out to gain experience, and he may have protectors by his side.

The atmosphere became increasingly heated during the subsequent auctions.

There was even a top-grade magic artifact, a blue bead that emitted an astonishingly cold aura.

This attracted several Foundation Establishment cultivators to participate in the fierce competition, and the price soared to over three thousand spirit stones.

Zhou Yuan had the means to bid, but he did not participate again.

Forcing yourself to participate will only lead to trouble.

As he fell silent, the gazes that had been fixed on him gradually shifted away.

Finally, after nearly two hours, the secret auction came to an end.

Zhou Yuan did not leave immediately. Instead, he waited until most people had left before mingling with the last group of people and leaving the dilapidated hut.

Instead of going straight back to the inn, he wandered around the most crowded parts of the market several times, even stopping at a shop along the way.

After confirming that there were no suspicious followers behind him, he quietly returned to the inn.

In the quiet room, after setting up a simple restriction, he finally relaxed his mind completely.

He eagerly took out the heavy, broken gold sword, and a thought crossed his mind.

"equipment!"

A pale blue light screen appeared in my mind.

【Equipment 1: Broken Gold Sword (Tier 2, Low Grade)】

[Effect 1: Improved swordsmanship talent.]

[Effect 2: Improved Refining Talent.]

[Note: This is a fine magical artifact that has passed through the hands of many cultivators, but its flaws have rendered it useless—it's neither useful nor worth discarding.]

Second-tier, low-grade!

Zhou Yuan was startled.

No wonder those Foundation Establishment cultivators said this sword had extremely strong defense-breaking ability; it turns out it has already transcended the category of a first-tier treasure.

He took out the Broken Gold Sword and hovered it in front of him.

He extended his divine sense and attempted to control it using object manipulation techniques.

hum!

The sword emitted a muffled hum, and its flight speed was indeed slower than the Jinghong Sword he had used before.

It looks somewhat bulky.

However, under the full force of his extraordinary divine sense, this sense of stagnation was greatly reduced, and the gap was quickly narrowed.

Although it is still not as agile as a regular flying sword, it is now completely within an acceptable range.

He counted the number of low-grade spirit stones left in his storage bag.

A black market like the one we just saw, with all sorts of people mixed together, is ultimately too dangerous.

Zhou Yuan made up his mind.

He was preparing to go to Stardust Pavilion.

That is an "official" shop of the Tianxing Sect, with an excellent reputation throughout the Yuanwu Kingdom, and its safety is absolutely guaranteed.

He planned to go there and take a look, and if there were any suitable treasures, he would buy some more.

If not, leave the market immediately and return to the Yue Kingdom.

Having made his decision, Zhou Yuan packed up everything, dispelled the formation, and pushed open the door to leave.

Even under the cover of night, the market was still brightly lit.

He pulled down the brim of his cloak, and his figure quickly merged into the crowd on the street.