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墨書 Inktalez
After more than ten days, Xunuo was joyfully playing with a golden pill. After exhausting three batches of herbs, he had finally refined the Turtle Spirit Pill. Time was exceptionally tight; Xunuo knew that tomorrow was the opening day of the auction, and he had managed to produce this Turtle Spirit Pill just in time.
Xunuo dispersed the medicinal fragrance within the Geothermal Chamber and opened the Restriction. Upon stepping out, he found several anxious faces waiting outside. With a faint smile, Xunuo said, "Refining this formation took quite a toll on my Divine Sense. I apologize for keeping you waiting while I rested inside."
One of the Merchant Alliance Representatives nearly exploded upon hearing Xunuo's words, while several Array Masters wore expressions of frustration. The Geothermal Chamber charged by the hour, and here he was resting inside.
The Merchant Alliance Representative suppressed his dissatisfaction and asked, "Is the formation successfully refined?"
Xunuo maintained his smile and replied, "Fortunately, I have not failed." He then pulled out a Formation Flag and handed it to him. The Merchant Alliance Representative glanced at the Formation Flag before hurriedly taking his leave; he needed to verify the formation's functionality, as time was of the essence for him.
Xunuo exited the Geothermal Chamber with several Array Masters and bid farewell after confirming their attendance at the auction.
The formation that Xunuo had crafted was set to be the highlight of the auction. The auction required that the Magic Circle Masters Guild send representatives to attend. This was because if buyers posed overly technical questions during the auction, an Array Master would need to provide answers; naturally, it was best if the Array Master who had refined the formation was present.
With the assistance of the Geothermal Chamber's concentration-enhancing capabilities, Xunuo's consumption of Divine Sense during this round of refining formations and pills was not too great. However, being cautious as always, Xunuo decided not to participate in the earlier stages of the auction and instead focused on restoring his Divine Sense to its optimal state. Moreover, Xunuo did not have extra spirit stones to engage in other bidding activities, so he simply chose not to attend those earlier auctions.
On the fifth day of the auction, which was also its final day, Xunuo sat at a table in a private booth on the second floor. From his vantage point, he could clearly observe everything happening below. The cultivators on the first floor could not see through this booth with its shielding function. Besides Xunuo, there was also a Seventh-Level Array Master and a representative from the Merchant Alliance in the booth.
As they chatted idly, they soon arrived at the highlight of the auction—the bidding for the main items. This time, there were three main items up for auction. The first item presented was a Five Hundred-Year-Old He Shou Wu. Upon seeing it, Xunuo felt like spitting blood. He had countless Thousand-Year herbs in hand but dared not present them for display.
In truth, herbs of such high age held little value for Xunuo at this stage; even for refining the Turtle Spirit Pill, herbs aged two or three hundred years were sufficient. Not to mention Foundation Stage pills like Unity Pill or Minor Rejuvenation Pill. The herbs cultivated within Boundary Stone could be refined into pills for sale; however, it would be utterly foolish to exchange them for spirit stones—this would be akin to drinking poison to quench thirst and would lead to self-destruction.
The herbs within the Boundary Stone are not only aged but also possess a potent medicinal quality. This potency is unrelated to their age; rather, it stems from the abundant Spiritual Energy found in the Boundary Stone and the Spirit Domain. In other words, any experienced Alchemist can immediately discern that the herbs cultivated by Xunuo thrive in an exceptionally favorable environment, one that is certainly beyond the capabilities of Loose Cultivators. Only large Cultivation Sects could establish such a rich Herb Garden filled with Spiritual Energy.
Xunuo gazed fervently at a five-hundred-year-old Shou Wu, and after bidding nearly a hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones for it, he consoled himself with the thought: I am also a person of means. He suppressed his restless desires as he awaited the auction of the formation he had crafted.
The auction price of this formation would directly impact Xunuo's ability to bid on the final item, the Teleportation Talisman. Ultimately, this set of formations sold for one hundred fifty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. After deducting material costs and auction fees, Xunuo would receive seventy Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. Considering what he already had on hand, Xunuo totaled over two hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. However, this amount was insufficient to secure the Teleportation Talisman, and if he fell short, he would have to rely on the Turtle Spirit Pill as collateral.
The Teleportation Talisman was about the size of a palm and bore intricate mysterious Runes. These Runes were distinctly different from those used in formations or magical artifacts; they belonged to an entirely different category. Xunuo had encountered countless experts in formations and artifacts but had never dealt with Talismans nor invested time in understanding them. When this Baili Talisman appeared, it quickly reached a bid of two hundred fifty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. At the Auction House, there were fewer than five bidders left in contention, leaving Xunuo with no opportunity to place a bid before he conceded defeat.
Xunuo hurriedly asked the Merchant Alliance Representative if he could exchange items for a discount, but the representative shook his head. In previous auctions that Xunuo attended, it was possible to use items as currency; thus, he assumed it would be the same this time. Upon seeing the representative shake his head, Xunuo felt confused and anxious. However, after an explanation from the Merchant Alliance Representative, Xunuo found himself at a loss for words.
The Cloud City Merchant Alliance is divided into three groups, each controlling a specific type of Cultivation Resources and prohibited from competing with one another. For instance, the Merchant Alliance Group hosting this auction primarily deals with Talismans and formations; therefore, the other two Merchant Alliance Groups cannot engage in this trade either. Likewise, this group cannot delve into pills or artifacts that are monopolized by the other two groups. The prohibition against using items as currency at Cloud City auctions stems from this arrangement.
Previously, it was permissible to use items for bidding; however, numerous disputes arose from this practice. The involvement of prohibited items as currency led to resistance from other Merchant Alliance Groups and disrupted profit balances. Excluding prohibited items resulted in complaints from Cultivators regarding unfair bidding practices. Ultimately, the option to use items as currency was abolished; now only spirit stones are accepted at Cloud City auctions.
Xunuo looked at him and said, "A thousand-year-old Shou Wu should not fall within your scope of business."
"This item has been entrusted to us for auction by another Merchant Alliance; having an entrustment does not constitute a violation," replied the Merchant Alliance Representative, leaving Xunuo speechless.
Xunuo glanced at a fellow Seventh-Level Array Master with thoughts of borrowing or exchanging some spirit stones but before he could speak up, the price for the Teleportation Talisman surged past three hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. Instantly, Xunuo abandoned his idea of borrowing spirit stones from the Seventh-Level Array Master. Just as Xunuo was anxiously fidgeting, the auctioneer's hammer fell for the Teleportation Talisman at three hundred eighty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. With this final item sold, the auction was nearing its conclusion.
In desperation, Xunuo turned to the Merchant Alliance Representative and said, "I am willing to exchange one Turtle Spirit Pill with the friend who won the Teleportation Talisman; could you convey my offer?"
The Merchant Alliance Representative named Dong Daihui's eyes lit up at the mention of Turtle Spirit Pill. Normally, its value exceeds that of a Baili Teleportation Talisman significantly; however, due to various Cultivation resources being difficult to compare laterally in Cloud City—because different items rarely appear in the same Auction House—Dong Daihui had developed a general sense of their market values over time spent in Cloud City. Recognizing that there might be potential for this exchange to succeed, he agreed and went out to contact the individual who won the Teleportation Talisman.
However, he also informed Xunuo that private transactions were not allowed at the auction, and there was an obligation to keep the bidding parties confidential. Therefore, regardless of whether the other party agreed to exchange, it had to be communicated through him, and he would not disclose any information about the other party. Shortly after, Dong Daihui returned with a message: "This Cultivator has disappeared."
Upon hearing this, Xunuo furrowed his brows. While one could conceal their identity from others at the auction, it was impossible to hide from the auction house itself. Moreover, no one could simply vanish before the auction concluded. The look Xunuo cast at Dong Daihui was laden with meaning.
Dong Daihui naturally understood that Xunuo harbored doubts and felt equally frustrated as he said, "After this person obtained the Teleportation Talisman, they vanished without a trace. They either possess a Rare Treasure that grants invisibility or have some unique technique; I truly have no way to track them down."
At that moment, the hosting Cultivator announced, "The auction is over," and the attending Cultivators began to pour out. A thought struck Xunuo, and he suddenly unleashed his Divine Sense, sweeping over the heads of the attending Cultivators. Most of those participating in the auction were Foundation Stage Practitioners. With his Divine Sense fully extended, comparable to that of a Foundation Stage Cultivator, it sent shivers down the spines of the Foundation Stage Practitioners below. Naturally, there were some defiant individuals who pushed back against his Divine Sense.
This was precisely the effect Xunuo desired. The Cultivator who had acquired the Teleportation Talisman could evade detection by the auction house only if their Divine Sense was sufficiently powerful; however, in order to conceal their identity, they would not resist. Xunuo aimed to identify this hidden individual among those with strong Divine Senses. His Divine Sense swept across the entire venue in an instant before retracting just as quickly, leaving him deep in thought.
In another corner of the private room, the two other individuals were left agape; the Seventh-Level Array Master was astonished by Xunuo's Mind Power, while the Merchant Alliance Representative was even more shocked by Xunuo's audacity—was he trying to provoke everyone and incite public outrage? Xunuo dared to act this way primarily because this private room was exclusively for the Merchant Alliance; angering everyone present would not lead back to him. Since he could not obtain the Teleportation Talisman this time, he would have to return empty-handed.
Just as he was about to leave the auction house, a voice suddenly reached his ears: "Zhang Daoist, come to Dongjiang Inn tonight at midnight; there may be news regarding the Teleportation Talisman."
Upon hearing it was Dong Daihui's transmission, a mysterious smile appeared on Xunuo's face as he exited the Auction House. Ever since Dong Daihui learned that Xunuo possessed a Turtle Spirit Pill, his behavior had become peculiar. Xunuo suspected that he had not received news about the Cultivator who acquired the Teleportation Talisman because Dong Daihui was obstructing him. The message he sent now seemed to indicate that he still had ulterior motives and was unwilling to give up.
Xunuo certainly did not fear a Foundation Stage Practitioner like him nor did he care about the Cloud City Merchant Alliance. This group had come specifically to scheme against the Merchant Alliance; adding another account to settle was inconsequential. Midnight tonight? He would definitely go; if they could not provide him with a satisfactory explanation, Xunuo would not hesitate to take action against him and vent his frustration over missing out on the Teleportation Talisman.
Since this trip had yielded no results, it was time to leave Cloud City anyway. Doing something beforehand to stretch his legs wouldn’t hurt.
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