Stealthily cultivating in the chaotic world of demons and martial artists
Chapter 141 - 140: The Big Auction (Seeking Monthly Tickets)_1

Chapter 141: Chapter 140: The Big Auction (Seeking Monthly Tickets)_1

Three years later.

As the once-in-a-decade grand auction of Baize Immortal City approached, the flow of people within the city visibly increased.

Even the various private exchange meetings were in full swing, happening much more frequently than before.

Fang Xi took advantage of this rare opportunity to dispose of all the conspicuous loot, with the spirit stones in his storage bag climbing to seven thousand!

Having finished processing his gains, Fang Xi was in high spirits as he headed to the Individual Cultivator Stall Area, perusing each stall one by one.

Though he had never stumbled upon a hidden gem, a person should always have dreams, maybe it would come true one day!

"Top-grade magical instruments on sale for cheap..."

"Specialties from the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, come take a look..."

"Fine quality talismans, top-notch fine quality talismans!"

...

After looking around, Fang Xi helplessly realized that it was not his fate!

He had dabbled in the Four Arts of Cultivation, and together with his Divine Consciousness, he could almost immediately assess the value of the items on the stalls.

And then he came to a conclusion, there was hardly any chance of finding a hidden gem!

"The reason why finding a hidden gem has become a legend is precisely because it’s extremely rare, extremely uncommon..."

"Forget it, I might as well go to the auction and buy things at a high price..."

Fang Xi was about to leave.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he stopped at a talisman stall.

"Would you like to purchase talismans? All of mine here are of fine quality!" the elderly woman behind the stall promoted.

"Indeed, they are not bad..."

Fang Xi picked up a ’Cold Wind Talisman’, feeling the thick and sturdy texture of the paper and the round and smooth strokes on it, without a doubt, it was a fine quality talisman!

"How much does it cost?"

"A top-grade first-order Cold Wind Talisman, capable of summoning cold winds and freezing enemies in a range attack, priced at twenty-five spirit stones!"

The old woman announced the price adeptly.

Her temples were frosted white, and deep crows’ feet framed her eyes, but from her features, one could faintly discern the beauty of her youth.

"If the customer buys more than five, there’s a discount!"

Seeing Fang Xi taking out spirit stones, the old lady hurriedly added with a smile, somewhat ingratiatingly.

’Time is truly an unforgiving butcher’s knife...’

Fang Xi looked on, but his heart was filled with emotion: ’The fiery Fairy Lu Zhi from the Green Bamboo Mountain Market, has now become so mercantile...’

Yes, Fang Xi had recognized her.

This woman selling talismans at the stall was none other than the widowed Master Zong Symbol that Chen Ping had once tirelessly pursued—Lu Zhi!

"Seeing an old acquaintance, Fairy Lu seems not to have recognized me..."

Fang Xi suddenly chuckled.

This time he was out shopping, not disposing of loot, and was not wearing Prime Taoist Mu’s disguise, so he was in his true form.

"Hmm?"

Lu Zhi suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with surprise and uncertainty as she looked at the youth who resembled a plant of Zhilan standing gracefully before her.

This face was indeed familiar to her, and her strong memory as an Immortal Cultivator finally allowed her to find the root of this familiarity from her numbness: "Are you... that Spirit Farmer from the market at Green Bamboo Mountain?"

"Indeed, it’s been years since we parted, how has Lu been?"

Fang Xi asked with a smile.

But Lu Zhi suddenly felt a bit ashamed.

Having wasted many years, she was still at the sixth level of the Qi Refining Stage, old and faded, while the young man in front of her remained youthful, with a cultivation level even above hers, having entered the later stages of Qi Refining!

This inevitably filled Lu Zhi with a sense of how time brings great changes to the world.

"Ah... doing okay, I guess."

At this moment, she seemed to have a thousand words in her chest, yet in the end, she could only sigh.

"Oh, how is Mr. Chen Ping? There was utter chaos at the market back then, and I had to flee in haste. I’m not aware of his whereabouts..."

Fang Xi expressed his regret.

"Yes, you were also a friend of Old Chen... he is doing... alright, I guess. It’s just that he has important matters and inconvenient to go out..."

Lu Zhi’s face showed even more bitterness: "It appears that Lu Zhi still maintains a good relationship with Chen Ping, unaware of the true circumstances behind the Blood Sacrifice that awakened the Spirit Body, I suppose?"

Fang Xi thought to himself with a stir in his heart.

"As for the friends of Mr. Chen, Lord Jiuxuan passed away long ago while sitting and transforming, and Di Qi did not survive the great disaster and perished in the market chaos..."

It turned out that Lu Zhi knew the news of Chen Ping’s fair-weather friends, causing Fang Xi’s heart to throb upon hearing it.

Lord Jiuxuan was lucky to escape the chaos at the market but couldn’t escape the end of his lifespan.

As for Di Qi, his fate was even worse as he died right in the middle of the market chaos, though it was unclear whether he was just an innocent victim or a casualty of his own greed...

"Ah... Decades of cultivation, and half of the old friends are gone."

Fang Xi sighed and said to Lu Zhi, "When you see Brother Chen next time, please extend my regards."

"Mom..."

At that moment, a tall man dressed in black, who was at the seventh level of Qi Refining and exuded a faint evil Qi, came over and glared at Fang Xi: "Who is this person?"

"He’s an old friend from your mother’s past..."

Lu Zhi shook her head, not wanting to say more: "Have you brought the materials for mother?"

"Of course, all here!" The man in black quickly produced a storage bag.

...

Evening.

Individual Cultivators who set up their stalls began to pack up, ready to go back and meditate for their cultivation.

Lu Zhi also put away her talismans into her Storage Bag and walked slowly. When she entered an alley, she saw Fang Xi.

"Lu, it seemed you had more to say during our daylight conversation?"

Fang Xi stood with his arms crossed, seemingly having been waiting there for a while.

Lu Zhi glanced around and, seeing no one else nearby, stepped forward and lowered her voice, "Chen Ping said you’re his friend, so I’ll trust you this once... Chen Ping’s current situation is dire, he’s imprisoned somewhere, constantly tasked with drawing talismans, and his lifespan has greatly diminished. His time is due within the next couple of years..."

None of this came as a surprise to Fang Xi.

After all, Chen Ping was a Blood Talisman Spirit Body, naturally attuned to the way of talismans. It wouldn’t be a stretch to guess he may have advanced to the second tier of talisman art by now, truly an exceptional ’tool’!

Facing a noble family, it was inevitable that they would exploit him to the fullest!

"Could it be the Green Leaf Xu Family?"

He speculated.

The Green Leaf Xu Family, the power behind Mingqing Loft, and Fairy Yun Meng were once part of this faction.

Upon consideration, they were the likeliest to be holding Chen Ping captive.

"You know?"

Lu Zhi was startled.

"I have my suspicions, but alas, my own strength is inadequate, and I cannot rescue this old friend..."

Fang Xi sighed and began to walk away.

He had waited here only to inquire about his old friend’s wellbeing.

Chen Ping had treated him reasonably well back in the day. If it were within his means, Fang Xi would certainly have helped.

But alas... he had yet to reach Foundation Establishment.

And with the Green Leaf Xu Family being a Foundation Establishment power, the disparity was too great. All he could do was apologize silently...

Watching Fang Xi walk away, Lu Zhi didn’t complain but sighed softly instead.

Even as an Immortal Cultivator, she had experienced her fair share of helplessness. Such is life...

...

"Considering his age, Chen Ping is a bit older than me. Back then, to upgrade his Prohibition-breaking Talisman, he expended thirty years of his lifespan. Another thirty years have passed by now, so he should be of a ripe old age..."

"A Qi Refining Stage Cultivator’s lifespan limit is two ’jia zi’, which is about one hundred and twenty years. Why is he suddenly in such bad shape?"

"Oh, I’d forgotten. If the Xu Family could force him once, they could also force him a second time... Could it be they pressured Chen Ping to upgrade some sort of special talisman, resulting in his almost depleted lifespan now?"

Fang Xi couldn’t help feeling a chill at the methods of the Foundation Establishment noble families.

This was akin to sucking the marrow from a tool!

Smoke Willow Lane.

"Mr. Fang, great news!"

Fang Xi arrived at the entrance and Su Lie happened to see him. He immediately approached, "Didn’t you ask me to inquire about an exchange meeting? I’ve heard about one taking place in a teahouse, where ’Jade Spirit Liquid’ might be on sale... Of course, the seller mentioned that if the offers don’t meet their expectations, they will also send it to the grand auction."

"Thank you, Sir. Please lead the way. I’d like to meet the seller first!"

Fang Xi was equally delighted and bowed with a fist.

In the past three years, he hadn’t made any acquisitions only once. As ’Prime Taoist Mu’, he had bought ten drops of ’Jade Spirit Liquid’ and a two-hundred-year-old ’Dragon-transforming Ginseng’ at a major trading company.

However, the more reserves of supplementary medicinal ingredients for the Foundation Establishment Pill, the better. Naturally, he could not pass up this opportunity.

He immediately followed Su Lie to the exchange meeting and found the seller.

After a confidential discussion, Fang Xi offered a satisfying amount of Spirit Stones and obtained half a bottle of ’Jade Spirit Liquid’.

’Hmm, the Jade Spirit Liquid is almost enough; all that’s left is a bit more Dragon-transforming Ginseng!’ Fang Xi thought to himself as he awaited the grand auction with secret pleasure.

He was only collecting supplementary materials, which naturally drew less attention and was much easier than those Qi Refining cultivators desperately seeking second-tier Demon Pills.

’In fact, if I used a second-tier Demon Pill for trading, I could instantly gather all the supplementary materials...’

’However... that would be too eye-catching.’

Fang Xi’s plan to kill demons for their pills was also continuously being refined, all while waiting for the grand auction.

...

A month later.

’Prime Taoist Mu’, a persona of Fang Xi, entered the Inner City and arrived at the grand auction venue at the foot of White Peak Mountain.

"This Sir, you hold an invitation to the box seats. Please follow me!"

A charming maid invited Fang Xi into the second floor of the venue.

There were many floating stands here, overlooking the whole auction venue.

"In the box seats, privacy for guests is absolutely respected, and after guests win an auction item, they can directly command someone to bring it to the box for the transaction..."

As they walked, the maid detailed the facilities and rules of the auction venue.

"Not bad... quite considerate."

Fang Xi nodded in approval, finding Baize Immortal City to be quite customer-oriented.

He settled into a chair in the box seat and quietly waited for the auction to begin.

Half an hour later, most places on the first floor were filled.

A loud gong rang out, and a middle-aged Cultivator with a commanding presence, dressed in a purple robe, with a round and slightly chubby face radiating wealth and amiability, yet his eyes were deep and intimidating, ascended to the stage.

"To be presided by him?"

There was a slight stir in the venue.

"Bai Feng’s eighteenth disciple—Ouyang Zhen?!"

Fang Xi looked at the man with some expectation.

This disciple of a Core Formation Master had achieved late-stage Foundation Establishment, indeed able to dominate the whole venue with his presence.

"Thank you all for coming. The grand auction now begins!"

Ouyang Zhen’s voice resonated in the ears of each Cultivator present: "The first item up for auction—a medium-grade Spiritual Instrument, the ’Green Cloud Compass’, capable of protection, flight, entrapment, and attack... The starting bid is one thousand two hundred Spirit Stones!"